ZF is on the move. The German automotive supplier has an oversized presence in Hannover, Germany, at the 2024 IAA commercial vehicles show.

ZF kicked off the show with an early Monday morning press conference. Peter Laier, member of the ZF board of management, briefed the media on the company’s latest initiatives and some high-profile product launches.

ZF has emerged as the largest global supplier of components for commercial vehicles in the world, Laier said. And now company is building on its recent successes with a host of new innovations and technology introductions.

Touting what he called the “broadest range of products and solutions on the market," Laier hailed ZF as the world’s most successful supplier of commercial vehicle technologies.

The group has already laid the strategic foundation for this current and future success, Laier added, through the strategic acquisitions of TRW and Wabco.

With these portfolio expansions, Laier said ZF is in a unique position to generate synergies between its divisions. These synergies combined with a flexibility in production give ZF decisive competitive advantages in the commercial vehicle industry.

“ZF is increasingly strengthening its position as a pacesetter in the commercial vehicle industry,” Laier said. “Our past investments in our product development with a firm focus on innovations are now paying off.

"With our broad product portfolio and the synergies that we utilize within and between the various divisions, we are setting new standards in the industry. Our customers’ strong interest in our products, the high volume of recent orders and our strategic cooperations with key customers are all proof of this development.”

Setting the Pace

ZF has secured numerous new customer orders for its latest solutions in the areas of chassis technology, safety and electrification, Laier said.

He said ZF expects production of electric drive systems for commercial vehicles to double over the next 12 months.

Already confirmed orders worth 5 billion euros underline ZF’s strong market position – especially in Europe, where the company is becoming the number one in electrified driveline technologies for commercial vehicles, Laier said.

ZF also anticipates further growth of e-drive systems, especially in the Asia-Pacific and North America markets. One example: the growing demand for the eWorX electric power take-off solution, for which ZF expects demand to double in the coming years.

IAA Innovations

ZF Group presented several new technological products at IAA. These include the its new modular e-mobility platform. This platform consists of different e-motors, corresponding inverters, a three-speed transmission as well as its associated electrical components.

This comprehensive modular package offers manufacturers the flexibility to configure the e-drive system to their specific requirements. From last-mile delivery vehicles to 44-ton trucks, the kit meets a wide range of requirements. It enables flexible adaptation to different vehicle categories and thus supports the rapid decarbonization in the commercial vehicle industry.

Another highlight is the TrailTrax concept for the electrification of semi-trailers. This innovative system integrates the AxTrax 2 electric drive axle from ZF and a modular battery system with the trailer EBS.

Together, these components help to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 16 percent, according to Laier.

The system transforms a heavy diesel truck into a hybrid vehicle, which not only lowers fuel consumption but also significantly reduces CO2 emissions. In addition, the system can be operated as a plug-in hybrid, which maximizes savings even further.

The Return of the Heavy-Duty Hybrid Transmission

Perhaps the biggest news for ZF at the show was the introduction of its new TraXon 2 hybrid transmission. Laier said this new transmission enables purely electric driving functions for both fully hybrid and plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles.

The development of this transmission demonstrates the successful technology transfer within the ZF Group, Laier added. He noted that ZF’s hybrid technology was originally developed for passenger cars and subsequently adapted to the specific requirements of commercial vehicles. With it, ZF offers a solution that meets the requirements of modern and sustainable mobility.

“The movement from combustion to battery-electrec vehicles is going slower in some markets than others," Laier explained in a roundtable meeting with North American journalists after the press conference.

“And even in markets with regulations driving commercial vehicles toward zero-emission technologies, this transition is happening slower than initially assumed. So there needs to be bridging technologies between diesel engine technology and zero-emission powertrains that can still help to reduce CO2 emissions. And we feel this hybrid transmission is an excellent way to achieve those goals.”

Advanced Motion Control

Another ZF innovation introduced at IAA 2024 is the cubiX software solution for different vehicle classifications.

CubiX is advanced motion control software optimizes the driving behavior of commercial vehicles in terms of stability, safety and performance.

The system contributes to the standardization and simplification of development processes and enables manufacturers to take advantage of differentiation opportunities of its chassis functions. After being presented just this June, ZF has already received initial interest in cubiX from commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Building on that was the launch of a new lane change assistance system for trucks. Laier said this is an upgrade of ZF’s OnGuardMax lane-change assistance system.

The new version of this technology uses radar and camera technology to make lane changes safer. It continuously monitors the traffic situation and actively supports the driver when changing lanes. This is particularly important for trucks with trailers, as such maneuvers pose a high risk for accidents.

The system independently recognizes and reacts to obstacles in road traffic. It will be used for the first time in series production trucks by manufacturers, in combination with the new mBSP XBS braking platform. It can identify both moving and stationary objects and initiate appropriate braking maneuvers.