Europe Premier: Presenting its latest eMobility solutions, ZF’s new “CeTrax 2 dual” electric central drive for intercity buses and coaches will be unveiled
- CeTrax 2 dual Electric Central Drive
- Full-range supplier for autonomous transport systems
- SCALAR Passenger Transportation
- ZF Bus Connect with Ecolife Health-Check and ITxPT compatibility
- Safety: Braking Assist System for City Buses
- EcoLife 2 Automatic Transmission
Focusing on autonomous, connected and electrified systems, ZF will showcase its latest bus and coach technologies at the 65th UITP Global Public Transport Summit 2023 in Barcelona. Through exhibits, digital and live presentations as well as innovation tours organized by the UITP, ZF will present its expanding portfolio of advanced systems and solutions that are setting new industry benchmarks in safety, efficiency and sustainability for buses and coaches as well as the new-generation autonomous Level 4 shuttle. This includes how ZF is helping shape the future of public passenger transport with innovative electrification systems, automated applications and intelligent connectivity solutions.
CeTrax 2 dual Electric Central Drive
ZF will further underline its commitment to the fully electrified future of emission-free public transportation by presenting its latest eMobility technologies. This includes the European premier of ZF’s next generation fully integrated, modular CeTrax 2 dual electric central drive system for buses. CeTrax 2 dual features an integrated three-speed transmission. This, together with the system’s low weight of 385 kg, makes tackling steeper slopes and challenging topographies easier, delivering a high continuous performance of 380 kW.
Full-range supplier for autonomous transport systems
The way of mobility must change in the future if we seriously want to achieve the 1.5 degree target. In addition to a consistent electrification of transport, new mobility concepts are necessary in order for countries and cities to be able to meet the ambitious climate targets – and at the same time offer commuters and residents an attractive living space. With its autonomous transport systems ZF makes an important contribution to mobility change: Autonomous, emission-free ZF Shuttles can operate on defined routes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Public transport operators can provide passengers with a mobility service even when demand is low and expand routes to meet increased demand against a backdrop of acute driver shortages.
The new ZF Level 4 shuttle, which is capable to maneuver fully electric in mixed traffic without a safety steward, underlining this support for autonomous, silent and emission-free urban passenger transportation. With selectable battery capacities between 50 and 100 kWh, the next-generation shuttle can cover up to 130 km in purely electric mode. This is at an initial maximum speed of 40 km/h, with further development underway to achieve 80 km/h.
As a technology leader, ZF sees itself as a partner for the entire life cycle of its shuttles. In addition to the autonomous vehicle, ZF offers a reliable overall package of hardware and software as well as services for planning and operating autonomous shuttle fleets in automotive-grade quality. In addition. ZF customers can rely on a global network of 20,000 ZF Aftermarket partners in the future.
SCALAR Passenger Transportation
Presenting its latest advanced connectivity solutions, ZF will demonstrate its new SCALAR fleet orchestration platform for AD driven vehicles. Offering fleets real-time, AI-based automated decision-making and optimization, SCALAR delivers advanced operational efficiency and can seamlessly “orchestrate” passenger transportation. In the UITP project ULTIMO, ZF’s new SCALAR platform has already been applied.
ZF Bus Connect with Ecolife Health-Check and ITxPT compatibility
ZF Bus Connect is ZF’s digital fleet management solution for city buses and coaches with electric, hybrid or combustion engines. It is designed to help transport companies and bus OEMs to save cost, increase safety and improve bus fleet operations based on data insights and analytics. At UITP World Congress ZF Bus Connect is launching its brand new “EcoLife Health Check” module, which is dedicated to raise vehicle uptime. It is ZF’s entry into remote diagnostics for bus fleets. Health Check gives an indication on the actual condition of the transmission based on data from the transmission system itself (engine speed, gear step, oil temperature, oil pressures, etc.). As the data is collected online, there is no need any more to call the investigated bus back into the depot for analysis. Operators, who make best possible use of the transmission oil, as an example, can avoid early maintenance and thus reduce maintenance cost and increase uptime.
By default, ZF Bus Connect provides many additional features to optimize driving, avoid dangerous situations, optimize energy or fuel consumption, overlook battery charging status as well as break or other systems’ wear in an ITxPT compatible way.
Safety: Braking Assist System for City Buses
ZF will also present its first Collision Mitigation System (CMS) specifically designed for city buses. The pioneering system offers active braking to help mitigate or even avoid the impending collision with other road users. Building on ZF’s extensive safety systems expertise, ZF’s City Bus CMS draws on its latest OnGuardMAX technology for heavy trucks – with specific features and functionalities that are tailored to city bus applications.
Combining the data from its state-of-the-art camera and radar provides continuous analysis of the traffic situation. If an impending collision is detected, the system can issue a Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and automatically apply the brakes to help mitigate or even avoid a collision. Combined with ZF’s advanced braking capabilities that are calibrated with the vehicle’s speed and weight, the adverse effects of sudden braking on passengers can also be minimized. With seamless interaction between ZF’s ADAS and braking system, brake pressure is carefully applied across the braking cascade making unsecured passengers less likely to be jolted and put off-balance.
EcoLife 2 Automatic Transmission
ZF will also demonstrate its EcoLife 2 automatic transmission. With EcoLife 2, further fuel savings of up to three percent can be achieved for buses compared with previous generation transmission. At the same time, the new design is more lightweight, robust and easier to maintain. Modern features include a stop-start capability for all model variants, a rolling function as well as fast, yet gentler and more comfortable, gear switching. The transmission control has many new functions and ZF has also expanded the range of applications. It now provides EcoLife 2 variants that are suitable for coaches up to 2,800 Nm thanks to a slightly higher torque range. EcoLife Coachline sets a new industry benchmark in coach transmission system performance and efficiency.
SOURCE: ZF
Keyword: ZF at UITP Barcelona 2023: Showcasing the autonomous, connected and electrified future of public transportation