ZF opens new EV component plant in China
The ground-breaking ceremony for the new plant was held in June 2023 and ZF estimated the investment volume at around €130 million at the time. The site was originally scheduled to open in March 2025, but construction went much faster.
The plant in Shenyang is intended to further accelerate ZF’s expansion in the field of e-mobility and offer customers high-quality and highly efficient e-mobility solutions, according to the company. The electric axle drives to be built at the plant are based on ZF’s modular platform for electric drives and cover both front and rear axles, including motors, power electronics and transmissions.
According to ZF, the modular design can fulfil power requirements from 100 kW to 300 kW. It offers the option of switching between synchronous and asynchronous motors for main and auxiliary drives, depending on customer requirements. The motor has a hairpin winding for higher power and torque density, higher efficiency and optimised power output. The power electronics are based on ZF’s High 2.0 SiC technology and can be continuously upgraded on the 800-volt platform, which increases functional reliability and optimises costs.
“ZF attaches great importance to the Chinese market, the opening of the new plant in Shenyang, fully demonstrates ZF’s determination to continue to invest and innovate in China,” said Renee Wang, Executive Vice President, President of China and Operation Asia Pacific, ZF Group. “To adapt to the ‘China speed’ and ‘Chinese efficiency’, we are advancing our localization strategy, including raw materials, equipment, R&D and others to accelerate the localization process, moving towards the goal of ‘Led from China’.”
“The opening of Shenyang e-mobility plant is a further milestone for ZF in its electrification transformation. With the rapid growth of Chinese EV market, ZF must continuously thrive to play an essential role in serving the auto industry’s electrification transformation with its broad product portfolio, strong technical expertise and high-quality DNA,” added Timo Maisel, Senior Vice President of Electrified Powertrain Technology Division, Asia Pacific, ZF Group.
Now that it has opened, the Shenyang plant will focus on fine-tuning the production line for the assembly and inspection of electric drive systems and make every effort to ensure series production in 2025. The newly opened plant is ZF’s third production facility for eMobility components in China.
Electric drive systems are seen as an important business area for the future of ZF. However, CEO Holger Klein admitted in an interview with the German publication Manager Magazin in the summer that “the technology for electric drives is largely not yet profitable.”
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