ZF has unveiled its latest electrified trailer technology at the NUFAM commercial vehicles trade show in Karlsruhe, Germany. An electrified axle and modular battery system box for recuperation and traction support can reduce fuel and CO2 emissions by up to 16 percent or up to 40 percent with a plug-in hybrid version. The AxTrax 2 electric axle can deliver up to 210 kW of power and 26,000 Nm torque.
Dr. Bernd Meurer, responsible for 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.”
Axle manufacturer BPW is working with ZF to create a fully integrated running gear system for trailer builders. Kässbohrer and Krone, the German trailer manufacturers, will support this electrified technology by integrating the system into their products.
Thore Bakker, general manager business unit trailer solutions and 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 semi trailers that can be easily assembled by trailer builders and is fully trusted by the fleets.”
İffet Türken, Kässbohrer board member 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 in 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 applications 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.”
This electrified trailer technology is designed as a future-proof solution that will comply with national and regional regulations. Following regularity classification, the first electric trailers are expected to be rolled out on EU roads.
Year: 2018 | Body Type: Curtainsider | Registration: 343578 | Category: Trailers | Make: Montracon
Year: 2015 | Body Type: Box | Registration: 342483 | Category: Trailers | Make: Lawrence David
