ZF presents its broad technology portfolio at Auto Shanghai 2015

ZF presents its broad technology portfolio at Auto Shanghai 2015
  • Technology company presents electronics and lightweight construction expertise in Shanghai
  • ZF technology makes passenger cars and commercial vehicles more efficient
  • ZF with a wide product range in driveline and chassis technology

At the 16th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, ZF presents its broad technology portfolio for reduced fuel consumption, preservation of resources, and additional safety. The technology company supplies driveline, and chassis technology for passenger cars and commercial vehicles worldwide. ZF is setting the pace for the future, too – with electrified drivelines and automotive lightweight construction.

Efficient, dynamic, and comfortable: ZF driveline technology
ZF is setting standards with its 8-speed automatic transmission by combining driving dynamics, ride comfort, and efficiency: With reaction times below the human perception threshold and adaptive shifting software, it changes gears precisely when the driver wants.

Thanks to a flexible modular construction system, ZF’s 8HP is equipped to meet all requirements: This model range covers the broad torque range between 300 and 1,000 newton meters. The basic transmission can be modified depending on vehicle needs and the intended application: The result is one complete transmission generation with different variants ‒ from plug-in-hybrid transmissions to four-wheel drive. Major manufacturers, such as BMW, Audi, and Jeep, are already using ZF’s 8HP in their production vehicle models.

The enhanced second generation of the eight-speed automatic transmission (8HP) is designed to provide effective support to automotive manufacturers in meeting the ever-stricter legal CO2 standards – and in a cost-effective manner in combination with conventional or hybridized drives.

The enhanced second generation of the eight-speed automatic transmission (8HP) is designed to provide effective support to automotive manufacturers in meeting the ever-stricter legal CO2 standards – and in a cost-effective manner in combination with conventional or hybridized drives.

ZF expertise in lightweight construction and e-mobility
At the Auto Shanghai 2015, ZF is not only presenting the product portfolio to trade show visitors, it is also providing insights into the trendsetting range of expertise of the technology company. Using an innovation prototype, ZF demonstrates the potential of the combination of e-mobility and lightweight construction. In the ZF subcompact car test, lightweight construction chassis components supplement the electric final drive. Thanks to its high-speed concept and integrated power electronics, the electric drive combines high performance with high efficiency, low weight, compact dimensions, and quiet operation. In practice, this increases the range – and the 90 kW electric drive also develops high performance and driving dynamics.

Efficient Commercial Vehicle Technology
Electrification will take on increasing importance for commercial vehicles, too. First and foremost, the ZF innovation paves the way for lane-independent low-floor city buses, which are powered either very efficiently with various hybrid configurations or even entirely electrically – and hence locally zero-emission. This is thanks to two 120 kW electric motors integrated directly in the axle. The latest AVE 130 also boasts new gearing geometry and even quieter running.

With a maximum axle load of 13 tons and a motor peak output of 2×120 kilowatts, the low-floor axle is even suitable for double-articulated buses. Here, two AVE 130 can be used in response to difficult topography so that the traction characteristics can be substantially improved. The wheels are driven individually via water-cooled asynchronous motors with a high power density and a subsequent fixed two-step ratio. Up to the maximum road speed, the passengers do not notice any tractive force interruption thanks to the absence of any gear changes. The serial hybrid operation together with the low-loss electric drive of the AVE 130 facilitate, with an optimum system configuration, fuel savings of up to 30 percent in driving operation compared with conventional diesel drives.