New ZF Gearbox For Electric Vehicles Revealed — Claims To Improve Range & Acceleration

ZF has revealed a two-speed gearbox for electric vehicles. Showcased at the company's ongoing Global Technology Day 2019 exhibit, the EV gearbox could very well change the way electric vehicle functions.

The new gearbox comes as ZF prepares itself for an electric future. ZF is one of the best if not the best automotive transmission suppliers in the world. It is a German company that is the OEM supplier for a majority of the world's premium car manufacturers.

The new 2-speed transmission was showcased as one of the company's solutions for next-generation mobility. Electric vehicles are driven by a motor or multiple motors which are powered by batteries.

This left most manufacturers with a choice to either have great acceleration and lower top speed or low acceleration and higher top speed. This constant jiggle between both variables also limited manufacturers in terms of range on one fully charged battery. Having the new ZF two-speed gearbox helps solve most of these problems.

Bert Hellwig, head of system house at ZF's E-Mobility division was quoted as saying, ""For electric vehicles in everyday use, it is important to obtain as much range as possible from each battery charge. Every percent of improvement in energy conversion efficiency translates into two percent more range."

ZF also claims that this transmission will allow for better acceleration and top speed. According to the company, the transmission behaves like a normal electric drivetrain until 70km/h which is when it shifts into second gear.

This allows it to be five percent more efficient than a single-speed gearbox. Using this transmission, manufacturers could go for an extended range without increasing the size or capacity of the battery, thereby keeping costs the same. ZF claims the concept can be modified as required to suit the requirements specified by the manufacturer.

Thoughts On ZF Two-Speed Transmission Revealed For Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles with a single-speed transmission are limited to the RPM at which the electric motor can spin. With the use of such a transmission, electric cars are only going to gain more acceleration, top speed and range. The fact that it can be tuned to meet any requirement is an additional bonus for manufacturers intending to produce electric cars.