ZF complements its portfolio of electrification solutions for commercial vehicles with two new electric central drives, introduced recently at the ZF Technology Day in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on June 26. Already in use on a number of city bus applications, the CeTrax is now being marketed to other commercial vehicle types.
CeTrax lite and CeTrax mid are all-electric plug and drive solutions designed for use in delivery vans, light commercial vehicles up to 7.5 tons (CeTrax lite) as well as medium-duty commercial vehicles up to 19 tons (CeTrax mid). With these two solutions, the technology company aims to serve further market segments in the future and support the industry on its way to local zero-emission driving.
With CeTrax lite and CeTrax mid, ZF is expanding its electric drive portfolio for commercial vehicles in vehicle categories of up to 19 tons gross vehicle weight. The CeTrax lite and CeTrax mid feature a unique electric central drive integrated design, in which the electric motor, power electronics and transmission form a compact unit with a shared housing. This means that the power electronics do not need to be wired separately with the electric motor, as this connection already exists within the unit. Thanks to their compact design, both central drives can be installed flexibly in existing vehicle platforms, eliminating the need for major changes to chassis or axles by vehicle manufacturers.
"By using our CeTrax models' plug and drive concept, vehicle manufacturers can reduce development and installation expenditures,” said Dr. Mark Mohr, head of Development for Commercial Vehicle Technology at ZF. "With this new concept, ZF is addressing the needs of manufacturers or fleet operators who are planning to switch from existing conventional models to an electric driving mode."
Developed through experience with passenger car technologies
CeTrax lite and CeTrax mid are equipped with the electric components used in the tried-and-tested central axle drive that ZF produces for passenger car applications. A transmission directly translates the electric asynchronous traction motor's output, which adds to the unit's
compact design. Using the same components in passenger cars as well as commercial vehicles of up to 19 tons offers economically attractive solutions for commercial vehicle manufacturers. The mechanical components are all developed using the requirements of commercial vehicle operation, including the housing with its optimized components and mounting points.
In the CeTrax lite, an electric asynchronous traction motor offers a peak power performance of 150 kW and an impressive torque of 380 Nm. In terms of performance, this means CeTrax lite is equal to conventional units in this segment. The module is a fully integrated system, housing the electric motor as well as a 1-speed transmission stage and power electronics. Despite this, the CeTrax lite is conveniently compact and light at around 120 kg.
With its two electric asynchronous traction motors in a parallel design, CeTrax mid ensures powerful acceleration for vehicle weights of up t0 19 tons. The system's peak performance lies at 300 kW, while a two- stage powershift transmission produces a torque of 760 Nm. Once again, fully integrated design allows easy installation in the vehicle. Standard axles with current ratios can still be used in combination with both ZF drives.
