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ZF produces 1,000th ‘CeTrax lite’, its electric drive for light commercial vehicles, used by Isuzu

April 03, 2024

ZF has ramped up volume production of its CeTrax lite electric drive for light commercial vehicles, following an increase in demand from customer ISUZU.

The CeTrax lite, which began production in April 2023, has already seen its first thousand units produced. The drive is utilized by ISUZU to power the latest generation of its light distributor truck, the ISUZU ELF EV. Further volume production is set to commence later this year.

The CeTrax lite is an extension of ZF’s series of electric central drives, following the success of its predecessor, original CeTrax, which went into volume production in 2020. The central drive, produced at the ZF Friedrichshafen location, is primarily used in buses, with orders from customers in South Korea, the USA, Australia, and Europe. The new CeTrax 2 dual electric central drive will also be manufactured from Friedrichshafen from this year onwards.

The CeTrax concept is unique in that the all-electric central drive is suitable for electrifying existing commercial vehicle platforms. This allows manufacturers to expand their portfolio towards purely electric vehicles without significant alterations to their design platforms. The concept has proven particularly attractive for manufacturers of city buses and special vehicles operating in ports and logistics centers. The CeTrax lite offers potential for small delivery trucks, city buses, or special vehicles, which are primarily used for “last mile” deliveries to consumers and are ideally suited to operate in low-emission zones of inner-city environments.

“At the same time, we are investing and preparing further volume production launches for customers with the CeTrax 2 dual, the next electric central drive from Friedrichshafen for heavy commercial vehicles, set to start production,” says Kleber Vinhas, Location Manager of the ZF Friedrichshafen plant.