ZF Group has announced that it will form a new business unit on January 1 next year to provide customers with comprehensive electric drive solutions. The new division is formed by the merger of the current passenger car transmission technology division and the electric drive business unit. This means that the world’s leading transmission manufacturer will no longer develop components for internal combustion engine transmission systems, and the future development focus of the Group will focus on long-range hybrid and pure electric vehicles.
ZF said the growing demand for electric drive system solutions has also prompted companies to invest more in their electric drive units and build new electric drive plants to create next-generation travel solutions. In 2016, ZF set up a global electric drive division in Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany, according to public information. In 2019, ZF’s new Pancevo plant in Serbia will be operational, mainly for the production of start-up generators and transmitters, inverters and miniature switches for motors, mixing and electric drive systems. The electric drive production base in Hangzhou, China, is also expected to start production this year.
When it comes to transmission manufacturers, most people probably think of ZF and Aysn. The two companies are also two of the world’s most market-shared suppliers of transmission system components. When it comes to ZF, I’m sure a lot of people will link it to the 8AT automatic gearbox on BMW. With tens of millions of units sold since its launch in 2009, BMW is undoubtedly one of ZF’s most important customers, with the vast majority of BMW models introduced in recent years matching ZF’s 8AT transmission. With its excellent smoothness and stability, this transmission is used by many car companies around the world, especially some European luxury brands.
And Axin, more is widely equipped with some Japanese brands and our own brand models. In particular, Axin’s 6AT transmission technology is mature, reliable, and smooth and fuel-efficient, and more importantly, its cost is much lower than ZF.”
Against the background of accelerating the electrification transformation of the automobile industry, many international auto companies have announced their own timetables for stopping the sale of fuel vehicles. But compared to those visions, ZF’s high-profile announcement that it will focus on long-range hybrids and all-electric vehicles in the future is closer to reality. In any case, as the world’s leading manufacturer of transmission systems, this move will undoubtedly boost the electrification of the automotive industry.