Winter Testing Under COVID-19 Conditions

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Safety has always been paramount in developing our technologies. Testing effectively requires diverse capabilities, that simulate a variety of scenarios in a range of environments.

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January 2021 marked the 34th winter testing series of the ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems at our test track in Rovaniemi, Finland. Located in the Arctic Circle, temperatures at the test track typically range from -12° C (10,4 °F) down to -40°C (-40°F). This allows us to test systems in sub-freezing temperatures and on icy, snow-covered roads. Every winter for the last 33 years, over 100 ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems test team colleagues set their way to the Arctic Circle in Finland, with a clear mission in mind: assess our products under extremely cold conditions.

Testing commercial vehicles in Finland

Every year ZF is testing commercial vehicles under winter conditions.

ZF's test track is located in Rovaniemi in Finland

Job with a view: the workplace of the test engineers.

Icy conditions: Temperatures can drop to -40 degrees in finnish Lapland.

Challenging conditions in two ways

This year, the team have faced not only cold temperatures but also challenges posed by the COVID-19 restrictions which have had a huge impact on the safety organization and realization of this years’ winter testing series. Our Test Engineer on site shared the latest insights from our winter testing teams who have been battling these severe conditions at the Arctic Circle for the past seven week.

Sebastian Duensing, Test Engineer shares his impressions: “I am happy to participate again in the 2021 winter testing series. Compared to my last winter testing it is quite challenging to travel to Finland. Our testing activities do not differ much from previous years, except due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we have fewer colleagues and trucks onsite this year. Additionally, we are also maintaining strict hygiene and social distancing rules which pose further challenges. However, this does not deter from our commitment to supporting our customers’ testing programs and validations of our braking systems. We are happy to report that our customers appreciate our dedication as we continue testing under challenging circumstances."

Sebastian Duensing, ZF Test Engineer

“A very special thank you to Henning and the test track team who ensured a safe and successful winter testing series 2021! With your dedication and perseverance you really made a difference," says Christian Brenneke, Senior Vice President of ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems. "Of course, this year was all about validating the truck’s performance with our unique systems on-board, under cold weather and extreme road conditions, to enable greater levels of safety and performance, ultimately making our roads safer. Therefore, under these circumstances and uncertainty, I really want to thank the whole test team for their personal contribution and support. This is a real proof of our passion and engagement towards meeting our customer commitments and focus on our main objective to make our roads safer with our systems."

"This is a real proof of our passion and engagement towards meeting our customer commitments and focus on our main objective to make our roads safer with our systems."

Christian Brenneke, Senior Vice President Product Engineering, ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems