ZF’s second electric drive for public transportation entering production in Q3: CeTrax
19 May 2020
Various manufacturers worldwide already rely on the ZF AxTrax AVE portal axle as an electric drive for buses in public transport. Starting in the third quarter of 2020, ZF’s CeTrax electric central drive will be the second electric drive from ZF for public transport to go into volume production. The drive will be manufactured in Friedrichshafen.
CeTrax electric central drive for commercial vehicles. Photo: ZF
ZF designed CeTrax for use in buses and presented it to the public for the first time in a ZF test vehicle in 2017. The design of the drive is based on a plug-and-drive approach. CeTrax can be easily installed in vehicles with a conventional driveline layout.
The CeTrax electric central drive for commercial vehicles can be integrated into an existing vehicle platform with little effort. Photo: ZF
The ZF system with inverter and the EST 54 electronic control unit with proprietary ZF software provides vehicle manufacturers with a system package that is designed for cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
CeTrax offers maximum power output of up to 300 kilowatts and a maximum torque of 4,500 newton meters; torque density of the system is 15.8 N·m/kg.
Moreover, CeTrax, like ZF’s other electric drives, can be operated via battery, trolley system or supercaps, and in a fuel cell configuration. It is thus suitable for the development of new vehicles as well as for retrofitting of existing platforms.
This allows vehicle manufacturers and fleet operators to respond flexibly to market requirements and legal regulations. The Polish bus manufacturer Solaris will source CeTrax to power the new Urbino 15 LE electric model. Further customer launches are in preparation.
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Posted by: SJC | 19 May 2020 at 10:55 AM