ZF AxTrax2: New Electric Axle Drives for Commercial Vehicles

Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) aims to expand its offerings in the field of e-mobility according to its own statements. The product range now includes the fully electric central drives CeTrax 2, the axle drives AxTrax 2, and e-components. According to ZF, the integrated and modular e-drive systems are suitable for light, medium, and heavy vehicles as well as trailers.

Recently, AxTrax 2 and AxTrax 2 dual were presented together with the previously introduced electric central drive CeTrax 2 dual at the Global Technology Day in Friedrichshafen. According to Winfried Gründler, Head of the Drive Systems product line in ZF's Commercial Vehicle Solutions division, a modular e-mobility kit can provide customers with everything needed to electrify their commercial vehicles – "from last-mile delivery vehicles to 44-ton trucks."

"The kit includes scalable axle and central drive systems. These, like other electric systems from ZF, follow the approach of technology openness and can be combined, for example, with a battery or fuel cell. The modular kit is complemented by a wide range of in-house developed and produced e-components," emphasizes Gründler.

AxTrax 2 is intended to maximize the available space for cargo or passenger compartments as well as for batteries while increasing the manufacturer's design flexibility for future vehicle concepts. The drives can be fully synchronized with vehicle functions such as braking, ADAS, and automated driving systems. Additionally, the exchange of system information from the e-axle with digital and telematics systems via CAN bus is possible.

Two Variants

According to the company, two variants are offered: AxTrax 2 is supposed to enable a continuous power output of 210 kW, while AxTrax 2 dual is suitable for heavy commercial vehicles with two integrated electric motors and should provide 380 kW of continuous power. However, both models should be able to replace the motor, transmission, drive shaft, and conventional axle to electrify a commercial vehicle.

As an electric drive axle in semi-trailers, AxTrax 2 can additionally recover electrical energy during braking, which can then be temporarily stored in a battery and used by the electric axle to support the truck's drive. This is intended to reduce fuel or energy consumption as well as CO2 emissions and simultaneously increase the safety of the entire combination, according to ZF. Additionally, E-components specifically developed for commercial vehicle requirements are also offered.

The axle supplier speaks of a modular system which is supposed to allow manufacturers to either use ZF's complete drive systems or combine them with their own components and use common interfaces. These include E-motors (PSM), silicon carbide-based inverters (SiC), an E-drive control unit, E-actuators, and multi-speed transmissions, it says.