ZF has unveiled a compact, low weight, and efficient electric concept vehicle at its Global Technology Day in Friedrichshafen. Based on a Porsche Taycan, the ZF EVbeat concept vehicle has used leading technology from ZF and other market players as a benchmark. These include the 74-kilogram lightweight and ultra-compact driveline with a torque density of 70 Nm/kg, thermal management, and cloud-networked driveline software. At cold temperatures around freezing point, the range in real-world operation increases by up to a third compared with current technology.
“Sustainable mobility is at the core of our corporate strategy,” said Stephan von Schuckmann, member of the ZF Board of Management. “Based on an extremely efficient production vehicle, we are showing the potential that future electric drive components offer when we combine them into an even more efficient overall system.”
The electric motor works without heavy rare earth elements and the thermal management system does not use fluorine-based refrigerant. The reduced number of components and the overall reduction in system weight – by one third for the electric drive and thermal management system – make a double contribution to greater sustainability, both in production and operation.
“Our goal was to make this drive as compact and lightweight as possible while maintaining high driving dynamics and increasing efficiency in real-world operation,” said Dr Otmar Scharrer, Head of Development for Electric Driveline Systems at ZF. “In terms of torque density, we are at the top of the podium when we compare ourselves with e-drives for passenger cars currently available on the market. At the same time, we paid strong attention to the sustainability aspect during development.”
