ZF presents new concept for Electrified Trailers
Two of the top producers of trailers, Kässbohrer and Krone, will also begin integrating ZF's electrification system into their platforms.
Friedrichshafen / Karlsruhe (Germany)- ZF., will display its most recent iteration of the electric trailer at the NUFAM commercial vehicles trade show in Karlsruhe, Germany. The modular battery system box for recovery and traction assistance and ZF's AxTrax 2 electric axle combine to create the electrified trailer solution. The system effectively transforms a heavy-duty diesel truck into a hybrid vehicle by recovering energy from braking, resulting in fuel and CO2 savings of up to 16 percent and up to 40 percent for the optional plug-in variation. By extending their range, the trailer also advantages zero-emission electric heavy trucks.
The idea of an electrified trailer from ZF is taking off as industry interest rises. With the announcement that it will collaborate with BPW to provide trailer manufacturers with a fully integrated running gear system that includes ZF's AxTrax 2 electric axle, ZF's Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) business came a step closer to bringing the advantages of electrified trailers to fleet operators. Two of the top producers of trailers, Kässbohrer and Krone, will also begin integrating ZF's ground-breaking electrification system into their platforms. Following today's announcement at the NUFAM trade show, the companies will begin the process of incorporating ZF's cutting-edge electrified trailer technologies into their assortment of products.
Dr. Bernd Meurer of the Electric Trailer Program at ZF said, “Electrification for trailers is an innovative solution to decarbonize road freight transport in the very near future. Instead of solely being pulled by the truck, the new approach provides additional traction while generating fuel savings, reducing CO2 emissions and improving sustainability. The fact that industry leaders are embracing our system demonstrates that we have taken the right concept approach in developing a lightweight and modular system that can be adapted to suit the diverse requirements and various applications of manufacturers and fleet operators.”
Thore Bakker, General Manager Business Unit Trailer Solutions & Mobility Services at BPW said, “Every trailer needs a chassis, suspension and braking technology that can be trusted. With our axles for 7.5t trucks and the generator axles for reefers, we already have a lot of experience regarding the integration of electric drives. It therefore makes perfect sense that ZF, with expertise in drivelines, cooperates with BPW to offer a robust and highly engineered running gear solution with the AxTrax 2 axle for recuperation and traction support for semitrailers that can be easily assembled by trailer builders and is fully trusted by the fleets.”
İffet Türken, Board Member of Kässbohrer said, “'Together to the next 125 years', we highlight the importance of a wide ecosystem of innovation and partnerships to advance the trailer industry towards sustainability. We support our industry with longer and heavier vehicles, our award winning intermodal product range and our already tested electrified reefers. We are committed to invest our proven innovation capability, engineering competence to advance the technical integration challenges of the new system safely and efficiently. We look forward to our cooperation with ZF and all our partners furthering electrification application to include all sectors of transport business.”
Dr. Stefan Binnewies, Board Member of the Krone Group said: “ZF and Krone share similar attributes like commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovative technology. Very early on, Krone investigated and invested in possible options for trailers to provide electrified traction support as a way towards meeting decarbonization targets of road transport. We are happy to see that well-established partners of the industry like ZF and BPW team up to support the transformation to more sustainable logistics by offering innovative solutions that we as trailer OEMs can integrate into our Trailer Systems. At Krone we are convinced that we can only meet the challenges of the future together - generating the best solutions for our customers.”
The many advantages of the ZF electrified trailer technology
Customers will be able to take advantage of ZF's unmatched expertise in fusing brake control and electrification systems with cutting-edge technologies through this announcement. One such example is the AxTrax 2 electrified axle system, which enables recuperation and traction support to deliver up to 210 kW of continuous power and 26,000 Nm of peak output of seamless torque.
Manufacturers can more easily integrate electrified technology into their own caravan platforms because to the ZF system's highly integrated architecture. The system uses braking energy recovery to recharge the batteries, saving 16% in fuel and CO2 emissions. When paired with an ICE-powered truck, the Plug-in Hybrid version can save 40%.
Future standards and regional and national laws are both met by ZF's electrified caravan solution. Once regularity classification has been achieved, the first electric trailers are anticipated to be driving on highways in the EU.
