ZF, a leading supplier of driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology, has announced the series production of its new electric central drive, the CeTrax lite. The company states that the new driveline is suitable for light commercial vehicles up to 7.5 tons and has already received orders from Asia and America.
The CeTrax lite is being produced under the direction of ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions division in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The division was founded in 2022 to focus more precisely on the commercial vehicle market. The new driveline, according to ZF, exploits synergies from the development and production of electric passenger car drives, which it has adapted for use in light commercial vehicles.
The CeTrax lite is intended to support commercial vehicle manufacturers in launching electric vehicles for cities and the “last mile”. ZF says that the compact design helps to maximise the available installation space for electrical components and batteries. The module supports “both the architectures of conventionally powered vehicles and the electrification strategies of manufacturers”. The CeTrax lite weighs 120 kilograms and includes an electric motor, a reduction gearbox, and power electronics. Peak power is rated at 150 kW and torque at 1,500 Nm.
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Orders have already been received from Asia and North America, with the Japanese manufacturer Isuzu being the first customer to install the drive in the latest generation of the Isuzu ELF EV light distribution truck. ZF presented a five-tonne electric truck prototype with the CeTrax lite on board for the Japanese market in 2019, and ZF said at the time that the 5-tonne class is the most sought-after type of truck in the light commercial vehicle sector in the Japanese market.
“CeTrax lite is designed for quiet, emission-free inner-city transport as well as the ‘last mile’ in delivery logistics and offers maximum performance and efficiency. This e-drive is therefore an important new milestone in our ‘Next Generation Mobility’ strategy and underlines our commitment to decarbonising the industry,” says Winfried Gründler, Head of the Powertrain Systems Product Division in ZF’s CVS Division.
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ZF has already had the CeTrax e-drive for heavy commercial vehicles in series production since 2020. The new CeTrax 2 system, which is said to combine a favourable power-to-weight ratio and a compact design, was announced in mid-2022. Series production with a global vehicle manufacturer is scheduled to begin this year. The company’s commitment to developing innovative and efficient electric drives for commercial vehicles underlines its vision of sustainable transportation and decarbonising the industry.
