German automotive provider ZF has showcased its newest electrical automobile applied sciences in an idea automotive based mostly on the Porsche Taycan. The EVBeat carries ZF’s newest 800-Volt electrical drive, the EVSys800, and a proprietary central thermal administration system.
ZF says it designed the brand new system for “most compactness, low weight, and most effectivity in real-world operation”. The market launch is about for 2026.
Certainly, the drivetrain weighs simply 74 kilograms. This makes the EVSys800 drivetrain roughly 40 kilograms lighter than ZF’s newest 800-volt manufacturing drivetrain, contributing to the general weight discount of the idea automotive.
As a complete, the EVSys800 is a modular system designed for passenger autos, consisting of a silicon carbide energy electronics unit, an electrical motor, and a discount gear.
With a steady energy output of 206 kW and a peak energy output of 275 kW, the motor presents a torque density of 70 Newton meters per kilogram of weight. This efficiency allows the idea automobile to ship a most torque of 5,200 Newton meters on the rear axle.
ZF achieved these developments via a brand new cooling idea and modern winding know-how within the electrical motor. ZF says, when it comes to dimensions, the drive saves 50 millimetres in width due to the compact discount gearbox and the patented ‘Braided Winding’. This additionally allows ten per cent much less set up area, and ZF provides the winding head alone is as much as 50 per cent smaller than with standard approaches. Direct oil cooling of the copper rods optimizes thermal administration.
ZF additionally “basically redesigned” the inverter of the electrical drivetrain, leading to enhancements in electromagnetic compatibility, energy modules, and capacitors, once more lowering dimension and weight and rising sustainability. Moreover, integrating a coaxial discount gear enhances efficiency by transmitting driving forces via two planetary gear units.
Wanting on the central thermomanagement system named TherMaS within the EVbeat idea automotive, it’s the first such system ZF ever designed for electrical autos and actually central to the brand new drive. It makes use of a centralized unit and software program to regulate thermal processes for the propulsion system, battery, and passenger compartment. ZF says its design considerably reduces area necessities and weight in comparison with standard cooling and heating techniques. Together with a propane-based 800-volt warmth pump within the system reduces vitality consumption.
Intimately, the TherMaS consists of three “designated circuits,” with a small, hermetically sealed refrigerant circuit at its core. Propane serves because the refrigerant, whereas two separate coolant circuits containing frost-resistant water regulate the temperature of the electrical machine and the ability and charging electronics. The software program adjusts cooling efficiency based mostly on demand and allows greater steady energy output from the electrical machine.
“Because of this general thermal administration, the vary of the EVbeat will increase by as much as a 3rd in demanding winter operation,” writes ZF.
The final innovation is a brand new cloud-based drive software program ZF developed for the modified Taycan. The powertrain software program networks all automobile techniques with one another and establishes the connection to the cloud. The provider provides that whereas the {hardware} laid an important basis for the sustainable operation of the automobile, their optimum orchestration is achieved by way of the software program. By analyzing particular person driving profiles and leveraging cloud-based synthetic intelligence, the software program adapts to driver behaviour, enhancing general efficiency.
Furthermore, the system is designed to maintain thermal working factors within the optimum vary always because the effectivity of an electrical motor relies on it, writes ZF. “At low speeds and excessive torque necessities, the optimum thermal working level could be very low, whereas at excessive speeds with low torque necessities, excessive temperatures aren’t an issue.” Nevertheless, since thermal circumstances can’t be established at brief discover, ZF programmed the software program to anticipate the optimum working factors from the person driving profiles talked about above and put together the system accordingly. It “learns” drivers’ behaviour and might predict the chance of private driving profiles via the AI-based cloud service, so ZF. For instance, air-con and system cooling are decreased when brief distances are detected.
“Sustainable mobility is on the core of our company technique,” defined Stephan von Schuckmann, a member of the ZF Board of Administration. “Primarily based on a particularly environment friendly manufacturing automobile, we’re displaying the potential that future electrical drive elements provide once we mix them into an much more environment friendly general system.”
“With this technique, we are able to completely meet the principle necessities of our clients – specifically effectivity, efficiency and prices,” mentioned Dr Otmar Scharrer, Head of Growth for Electrical Driveline Methods at ZF.
The primary applied sciences of the brand new ZF driveline shall be out there available on the market in 2026.
zf.com