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ZF opens new e-mobility manufacturing plant in China

ZF has opened a new e-mobility plant, known as ZF Electric Mobility Systems, Shenyang.

As ZF’s third e-mobility plant in China, Shenyang plant gathers ZF’s advanced technology and innovative concepts, and will produce and sell advanced products such as electric axle drives for new energy vehicles, to provide more high-quality and high-efficiency e-mobility solutions for customers in China and the world.

The main products of the Shenyang plant are the electric axle drives for new energy vehicles. Its core components are based on ZF’s modular kit electric drive platform and cover both front and rear axles, including motors, power electronics and reducers.

The modular design can meet power requirements from 100kW to 300kW and offers the flexibility to switch between synchronous and asynchronous motors depending on customer’s requirements.

The motor features a hairpin winding for higher power and torque density, higher efficiency and optimized power output.

The power electronics incorporates ZF’s High 2.0 SiC technology and can be continuously upgraded on the 800-volt platform, improving function safety while optimizing cost. The reducer design has also been improved to ensure optimum efficiency and excellent NVH performance.

Renee Wang, executive vice president, president of China and operation Asia Pacific, ZF Group, says: “ZF attaches great importance to the Chinese market, the opening of the new plant in Shenyang, fully demonstrates ZF’s determination to continue to invest and innovate in China.

“To adapt to the ‘China speed’ and ‘Chinese efficiency’, we are advancing our localization strategy, including raw materials, equipment, R&D and others to accelerate the localization process, moving towards the goal of ‘Led from China’.

“By developing local R&D competencies, leveraging local resources, ZF is actively promoting localization of advanced e-mobility technologies.”

Timo Maisel, senior vice president of electrified powertrain technology division, Asia Pacific, ZF Group, says: “The opening of Shenyang e-mobility plant is a further milestone for ZF in its electrification transformation.

“With the rapid growth of Chinese EV market, ZF must continuously thrive to play an essential role in serving the auto industry’s electrification transformation with its broad product portfolio, strong technical expertise and high-quality DNA.”

Along with the booming development of the global new-energy vehicle industry, E-mobility solution, as the core force to drive the green transformation of the automotive industry, has attracted great attention.

The opening of the Shenyang plant will further accelerate the pace of ZF’s strategic development in the field of E-mobility, so as to provide high-quality and high-efficiency e-mobility solutions for customers in China and the world.

At present, the transfer of production lines and equipment is proceeding. In the next step, the Shenyang plant will focus on the refined debugging of the electric drive system assembly and inspection production line, and make every effort to ensure volume production in 2025.

Up to now, ZF has three e-mobility plants in China. In September 2022, the second phase of ZF Electrified Powertrain Technologies (Hangzhou) was put into operation, mainly manufacturing 800-volt electric drives and reducers.

During this period, ZF Electric Mobility Technologies (Shenyang) completed its new energy vehicle electric drive project, producing and testing electric motors, power electronics and electric drive system.

The newly opened ZF Electric Mobility Systems (Shenyang) is ZF’s third e-mobility plant in China, which marks another milestone in the electrification of ZF to respond to China’s incremental auto market and new customer needs, marking significant progress in ZF’s electrification transformation.