ZF announced that the first PowerLine 8-speed automatic transmissions rolled off the production line at its Gray Court, South Carolina plant.
The PowerLine’s modular design is prepared for class 5 commercial mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, and uses their patented 8-speed gear layout with gear ratios ideally stepped to deliver increased launch torque and higher top gear for improved efficiency. The gear ranges utilize intelligent software to help further improve shift quality, safety, acceleration, and overall performance.
It’s also loaded with features such as Autopark, to help ensure the park lock is engaged even if the driver forgets to select the park position or set the parking brake; Hill Hold, to help prevent rollback when launching from a stop on an incline; and Shift-by-Wire, with integrated stalk shift selector enhancing ergonomics and improving maneuverability.
As part of a $200 million investment announced in 2021, ZF is now ramping up production to 200,000 transmissions per year by 2025 to satisfy demand from US commercial vehicle manufacturers, including three US-based customers.
Nearly 50,000 square feet of ZF’s Gray Court facility is now dedicated to PowerLine production for the North American commercial vehicle customer base.
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