German automotive supplier ZF has announced plans to invest 460 million euros into its plant located in Gray Court, South Carolina, USA. The investment aims to facilitate the production of automatic transmissions tailored for electrified drives in both passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Following the conversion, ZF’s Gray Court facility will become the first North American location capable of manufacturing both conventional and electrified drive systems. This expansion is projected to generate approximately 400 new employment opportunities.
See also: ZF Introduces Innovative Electrified Trailer Solution in Collaboration with Leading Partners
Among the new product lines to be manufactured at the Gray Court plant is the fourth generation of the eight-speed automatic transmission, designed to accommodate plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). According to ZF, this transmission variant can support electric driving performance of up to 160 kW and torque of 450 Nm, nearly doubling the capability of its predecessor.
Stephan von Schuckmann, a member of ZF’s Board of Management overseeing the Electrified Powertrain Technology Division, emphasized the potential for extended electric range in PHEVs with the latest transmission technology. He stated, “Depending on the battery dimensions in our customers’ vehicles, we can easily achieve a purely electric range of more than 75 kilometers with our latest-generation eight-speed plug-in hybrid. And more electric range means lower CO2 emissions.”
See also: ZF Develops Magnet-Free Electric Motor for Sustainable Mobility
The Gray Court plant, operational since 2013, has been producing eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions for third-generation passenger cars alongside a hybrid-capable eight-speed automatic transmission for medium-duty trucks, buses, and pick-ups. Additionally, ZF plans to ramp up production of its commercial vehicle transmission, known as PowerLine, to reach an annual volume of 200,000 units by 2025.
