AutoPartsAsia | NOVEMBER 2017 | 57GLEANINGS International
ZF Presents New Electric Drive For City Buses
Dana Opens New Axle Facility In US
APA Bureau
T
he global automotive supplier
ZF is driving the development
of local emission-free public
transport with its new, purely
electric plug-and-drive solution. The
latest is ZF’s innovative city bus test
vehicle. It is propelled by the new
CeTrax electric central drive, which is
suitable for both low-floor and high-
floor applications.
The drive was first unveiled in 2016.
Just a year later, the development team
in Friedrichshafen has implemented
a CeTrax application on the road and
showcased it at Busworld 2017, the key
trade show for city buses and coaches.
The other ZF solutions for electric
buses are the AVE 130 electric portal
axle and TraXon Hybrid.
“The CeTrax central drive can be
retrofitted into existing vehicle platforms
without any larger modifications
to the chassis, axles, statics or
differentials,”Jochen Witzig, who is
responsible for bus transmission
system development at ZF, said.“Vehicle manufacturers thus save on
development and installation costs.
We’re the perfect partner when they
want to use electric drives in addition
to their conventional engines within
the same platform strategy. CeTraxhas the potential to really jump-start
electromobility,” he said.
With a maximum output of 300 kW
and a maximum torque of 4,400
Nm, CeTrax packs the same power
as conventional engines. The bus
accelerates from standing without any
torque interruption, so passengers
don’t notice a thing. Comfort is also
ensured by much lower chassis
vibrations plus a quieter ride than with
the conventional engines.
CeTrax can be combined with single
rear drive axles and conventional
low-floor axles and it can be installedin low-entry buses and low-floor
buses of all sizes. The ZF central drive
provides clear weight advantages, high
performance and excellent efficiency.
The new electric drive, with its climbing
ability of 25 percent is suited to
urban terrain. The other ZF e-mobility
solution, the AVE 130 electric portal
axis, can drive a range of bus types
and offers massive tractive power. The
TraXon Hybrid, another solution, with
the electric motor located between
the combustion engine and the
transmission, adds hybrid functionality
to heavy commercial vehicles such as
coaches and trucks.APA Bureau
I
n support of its global growth
plans, Dana Incorporated has
inaugurated a new high-tech axle
production facility in Toledo, Ohio,
USA. The site of the new Dana facility
was initially home to Willys-Overland
Motors, which developed the original
Jeep.
The 300,000 sq. ft. facility was built to
support a number of new light-vehicle
programmes, including the new Jeep
Wrangler, which will be manufactured
less than three miles away at FCA US
LLC’s Toledo Assembly Complex.Located along Interstate 75, the
brand-new facility is optimally
located to support other automakers
throughout the geographic region,
and by 2020 the facility will be
supporting four vehicle programmesand employing more than 350
people.
“The investment in this new
manufacturing facility supports
Dana’s global growth and serves as
the latest example of our commitment
to the greater Toledo area, which has
been our home for nearly 90 years,”
James Kamsickas, Dana President
and CEO, said. “It is an honour for
Dana to return manufacturing to the
same historic site where Toledo’s
automotive industry began more than
a century ago.”
“Our new Toledo facility will
integrate Dana’s best global
manufacturing practices and
advanced operating systems. The
plant’s products will feature Dana’s
latest technologies, and the location- close to our customers and our
World Headquarters and Maumee
Technology Centre – will benefit
our customers, employees, and
shareholders,” Bob Pyle, President,
Dana Light Vehicle Driveline
Technologies, said. “I would like to
thank our customers for their trust
and support as we grow our company
and launch this new facility.”
The Toledo-Lucas County Port
Authority redeveloped the property in
conjunction with NAI Harmon Group.
To support this investment, Dana
received financial and other
assistance from the State of Ohio
and JobsOhio, the Regional Growth
Partnership, Lucas County, the City
of Toledo, the Port Authority, and First
Energy.