ZF shows future vision: Chassis 2.0 revolutionizes mobility!

ZF shows future vision: Chassis 2.0 revolutionizes mobility!

In the automotive industry there is currently a dynamic change, which is mainly driven by electrification and automation. ZF, a leading automotive supplier from Friedrichshafen, plays a key role. The importance of chassis technology for electrical and autonomous vehicles was clearly emphasized on her chassis tech day. The company representatives emphasized that the demands on chassis are constantly evolving due to new technologies and customer needs.

chassis 2.0 - more than just a trend

more and more one speaks of "Chassis 2.0", an advanced concept that integrates intelligent technologies and scalable electrical and electronic architectures. Imagine, the chassis is completely revolutionized by a software-controlled system. This transformation of the automotive industry is often associated with terms such as 'software drives' and 'electrical mobility'. But the chassis as an essential component is often overlooked.

André Engelke, head of the system house vehicle movement control at ZF, illustrates the importance of the chassis. Intelligent actuators for brakes, steering and damping bring the "intelligence" directly onto the street. In addition, the use of electrical drives in chassis is far more efficient than the previous combustion engines.

innovative systems and technologies

The steer-by-wire system, which does not require a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering gear, is highly in demand. Manufacturers such as NIO and Mercedes-Benz are already relying on this innovative technology. Brake-by-wire systems are already widespread in the USA, especially in hybrid vehicles and pickup trucks, and are also very well received in China. In Europe, however, the introduction takes place somewhat slower.

• ZFS Cubix software: The first purely software-based product for harmonious control of driving dynamics.
• Smart CHASSIS sensor: measures the movement of the vehicle and controls essential chassis functions.
• CHASSIS Health: New developments to measure accelerations in three dimensions enable continuous monitoring of the chassis state.

The semi-active damping systems and rear axle steering are other elements with which ZF would like to score. The company already claims 40 percent of the world market for semi-active systems and strives for ambitious 73 percent in the area of ​​rear axle steering, especially in a booming Asian market with 80 percent.

software-defined vehicles in focus

Even if the chassis is often only mentioned marginally, the industry sees the role of chassis as a central for the success-defined vehicles (SDV). Bosch recently published an eBook that explains the introduction of such vehicles with a digital approach. This publication is the result of the collaboration between Bosch and ETAs as part of the Digital.Auto initiative. Strategic goals, applications and challenges are comprehensively discussed.

Ultimately, it shows that the importance of chassis in automotive technology must not be underestimated. With intelligent and software -defined solutions, driving comfort, security and performance are raised to a new level. ZF is convinced that the way to the future of driving leads to innovative ideas in chassis technology and thus also contains the entire industry in the middle of this transformation.

For more information on the current developments, it is worth taking a look at the detailed reports from ZF and Bosch Mobility .