ZF Teams With Ford Trucks in Drive Toward Zero-Emission Deliveries

German automotive supply giant ZF announces it will supply electric drives for Ford’s F-Line heavy-duty rigid trucks.

The two companies have signed a long-term agreement to provide ZF’s CeTrax 2 dual electric central drive for Ford Trucks’ heavy-duty Electric Rigid Truck making its world premiere at the IAA Transportation 2024 in Hanover this week.

Under the agreement, ZF will also supply further electric drive variants as upcoming Ford Trucks models enter production as well as its Electrically Powered Hydraulic Steering Pump.

The compact and modular design of ZF’s CeTrax 2 series enables the drives to fit within the same mounting space as a conventional transmission in an internal-combustion-engine truck. It claims the flexibility to install either a combustion drivetrain or a CeTrax 2 electric central drive on the same assembly line, depending on the automaker’s configuration.

ZF says this flexibility enables manufacturers to manage the transition toward e-mobility production during the initial ramp-up phase when volumes are relatively small compared to traditional ICE lines.

Emrah Duman, Ford Trucks vice president, says: “Ford Trucks has always been at the forefront of innovation in the heavy commercial vehicle industry, and this new agreement with ZF further solidifies its mission to lead the shift towards sustainable transport.”