At its eMobility Tech Day ahead of the leading passenger car trade fair IAA Mobility 2025, ZF shows how the technology group is shaping the mobility transition. ZF is responding to a dynamic, volatile and technologically differentiated market with the most comprehensive product range for electrified drives.
Even if it is weakening in Europe, the market for e-mobility is growing globally. In addition, there is a very strong technical differentiation in drive technology. The large number of drive configurations required is challenging and system providers for e-drives must now have a significantly larger portfolio than just a few years ago. At the same time, customers expect shorter development times, faster innovation cycles, better integration and optimized costs.
The basis of ZF’s broad product range is the SELECT e-drive platform, which enables a wide variety of system solutions and includes the necessary components such as electric motors, inverters, converters, reduction gears and software. In addition to all-electric drives, another platform also offers combustion engine and hybrid solutions for all vehicle classes. A new feature is the thermal management system TherMaS, which has been significantly further developed by ZF for electric vehicles and significantly increases the range of electric vehicles through economical air conditioning. The key innovations can be experienced in the ZF EVselect concept vehicle.
Strategic modularization thanks to the SELECT platform
ZF is reinforcing its position as a leading force in e-mobility and as a globally active, independent supplier of electric drive systems for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. A major milestone in this effort has just been achieved through modularization, which allows ZF to offer a broad product range and a high pace of innovation. The key to this is the new SELECT e-drive platform. It combines the Group’s immense system expertise with decades of experience as a supplier and innovator of components and systems.
“With the SELECT platform, we are optimally prepared for the complex market requirements of e-mobility. With this focus, combined with our overall vehicle expertise, we offer customers a technologically leading, broad and tailor-made product range,” says Mathias Miedreich, member of the ZF Board of Management and responsible for the Electrified Powertrain Technology Division. “Our comprehensive range also includes offering attractive drive solutions for highly efficient combustion engines as well as the entire spectrum of electrified drives and constantly developing them further – across all vehicle classes.”
Integrate innovations faster
“The SELECT platform enables us to offer tailor-made solutions for all electromobility requirements,” adds Dr. Otmar Scharrer, Senior Vice President R&D, Electrified Powertrain Technology, ZF. “With the combination of powerful individual components and attractive functions at system level, electric drives can be configured for a wide range of different applications – and with significantly shorter development times.”
ZF will develop future innovations for e-drives from the SELECT platform to make them compatible, easier and faster to integrate into customer applications. ZF is pursuing the principle of high integration: several hardware and software functions merge into one system. This saves space, weight, material and ultimately costs.
Still in high demand: hybrid technology
As hybrid drive solutions remain important in specific markets, ZF is continuously advancing its product portfolio to meet this demand. At the eMobility Tech Day, the Group will be presenting a concept for its successful 8-speed automatic transmission: the transmission, known as 8HP evo, offers improved efficiency and performance and more flexibility for various hybrid platforms. Additional highlights include the new electric range extender systems, which can take away the range anxiety of electric car drivers. A compact combustion engine in combination with a generator ensures that electrical energy is reliably supplied during the journey when the battery is low – thus ensuring mobility regardless of the next charging option.
EVselect concept vehicle: mobile innovation demonstrator
The EVselect concept vehicle demonstrates how well the ZF innovations prove themselves in practice. In it, pre-series versions of electric primary and secondary drives based on the SELECT platform are responsible for the rapid propulsion. In another innovative vehicle, the new TherMaS thermal management system air conditions the interior just as efficiently as the battery and drive unit.
Revolutionary thermal management system
The value of ZF’s understanding of the entire vehicle is demonstrated by another innovation: TherMaS, a thermal management system that ZF has developed to market maturity specifically for all-electric vehicles. The use of propane as a refrigerant results in significantly better thermal performance at high and low temperatures, as well as a smaller and lighter system design. In tests, the optimized thermal management and the more efficient use of waste heat from the drivetrain were able to increase the electric range in demanding winter operation by up to 10 percent and even up to 30 percent under extreme conditions.
“No matter where in the world people are driving or what energy sources are available, ZF provides the right solutions to ensure a comfortable and relaxed driving experience,” summarizes board member Mathias Miedreich.
SOURCE: ZF
