ZF
Friedrichshafen AG has received an order from BMW AG for its enhanced 8-speed
automatic transmission with a double digit billion value. The business is
planned to run over a period of several years. The latest version of ZF’s
8-speed transmission – a technology which has been production since 2009 - has
been optimized by integrating an electric drive. This also includes a hybrid variant.
The
new transmission generation will start series production in 2022 at ZF’s plant
in Saarbrücken, the lead production facility for ZF’s automatic passenger car
transmissions. The company also plans to start production of the technology at
further locations including the USA and China in the future.
"This
business win is the largest single order in the history of ZF," said ZF’s
CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider. "When it comes to the electrification of
passenger cars, in addition to pure electric drives, it confirms our strategy
to focus on plug-in hybrids as an every-day solution and to develop attractive
products in these areas.”
The
new 8-speed automatic transmission can be installed in almost all vehicle
classes with a front-longitudinal drive configuration. A technical innovation
of the upgraded transmission is the integration of the electric drive. "We
have consistently optimised our 8-speed automatic transmission according to
future e-mobility requirements,” explained Michael Hankel, member of the ZF
Board of Management responsible among other areas for transmission technology
and e-mobility, adding that "With a modular construction using various
starting elements, the new generation hybrid transmission offers a flexible
solution which is suitable for all passenger cars – both conventional as well
as electric.”
Hankel
continued: “The order was based on the fact that the customer sees our
technology as a sustainable drive solution for its vehicles which supports them
in achieving CO2 targets. In addition, the possibility to easily change from
one transmission variant to another allows our customer the flexibility to
react to market requirements.
"The
order also reinforces the importance of our global production network. Following
the start of production in Saarbrücken in 2022, we will also manufacture this
next generation transmission for further customers at our locations in Gray
Court, USA, and Shanghai, China," added Hankel.