ZF to develop electric trailers together with Range Energy

The German supplier ZF is cooperating with the Californian company Range Energy to promote the development and introduction of e-trailers in the North American commercial vehicle industry. This primarily involves the well-known AxTrax 2 e-axle from ZF.

As part of the collaboration, AxTrax 2 will be integrated into Range’s eTrailer system, according to ZF. The aim is to advance “the widespread scalability of hybrid and zero-emissions trucking.” With the Trailer, “critical fleet demands, such as greater efficiency, emissions reductions, and range extension” should become possible.

The approach of equipping lorry trailers with their own supporting electric drive is not new – not even for ZF. In September 2023, the supplier from Lake Constance presented its own ‘Electrified Trailer’ at the NUFAM commercial vehicle trade fair, which also used the AxTrax 2. At the time, the ‘Electrified Trailer’ was not only intended for electric tractor units but was also designed to significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in diesel or gas-powered trucks with its assisted drive. The Aachen-based company Trailer Dynamics is also working on an eTrailer and has already achieved promising results in various tests.

However, the electric drive is only one component of an eTrailer; a battery and, above all, the important sensors and control system must also be integrated. As a rule, eTrailers react passively to the actions of the tractor unit and control their drive based on their own measurement data – there is usually no direct control from the driver’s cab. In the case of the new cooperation for North America, ZF is contributing the e-axle, while the modular battery pack and the intelligent kingpin as well as the control algorithms come from partner Range. “Range’s eTrailer System is delivering projected savings of up to $20,000 per trailer per year in early tests, and up to 70 per cent reduction in emissions, all while using existing equipment and infrastructure,” ZF writes.

First deliveries planned for 2025

AxTrax 2 is an axle-based, fully integrated system with a compact design that is intended to maximise the space available for batteries and ‘increase manufacturers’ design flexibility for future vehicle concepts’, according to ZF. The axle is also designed to be synchronised with key vehicle functions such as braking, ADAS and automated driving systems.

Range plans to deliver the first eTrailer with a ZF axle to customers this year. Pre-series vehicles are already being used by customers throughout North America as part of pilot projects. It is not clear from the press release whether the AxTrax 2 is already installed here as well.

“We believe electrified trailers are a viable solution to help lower emissions for food delivery or transportation of goods, improve fuel economy for combustion engines in the powertrain, extend the range of BEV and electric trucks, reduce exhaust,noise and brake particle pollution, and further improve total cost of ownership,” said John Hawkins, Senior Vice President, Commercial Vehicle Solutions, ZF. “With Range’s market position, the company was a logical trailer partner for the AxTrax 2 e-axle in North America.”

“Time is of the essence to get solutions into the hands of commercial fleet owners and operators to ensure smooth and consistent operations as their fleets evolve to address emissions reduction targets,” adds Ali Javidan, CEO and founder of Range. “Partnering with a market leader like ZF, in an effort to seize the electric trailer market in commercial trucking is humbling. With ZF, we aim to rapidly advance our platform with tried and tested components, further proving that electric-powered trailers can play a critical role in reducing the environmental impact of commercial trucking.”

zf.com, businesswire.com

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