GRAY COURT, South Carolina—After ZF’s first PowerLine 8-speed automatic transmission rolled off the production line in late 2023, the company expects to produce 200,000 this year, the German-based Tier 1 supplier announced at a media event at its plant here, south of Greenville.
According to ZF, the 8-speed automatic transmission delivers up to a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency and 30% faster shifting when compared to automated 6-speed transmissions.
Since 2021, ZF has invested $200 million to upgrade the plant. The PowerLine transmission is designed to meet Class 5-8 vehicle performance while shifting like a car. The supplier demonstrated the smoothness during media test drives following a press conference about the production plans.
The PowerLine also solidifies ZF’s Gray Court facility, which employs 1,900 workers, as the company’s first North American flex manufacturing site, supporting traditional ICE and e-mobility technologies for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The plant, now at over 1.6 million sq. ft., has grown by over 77% since 2010.
Transmissions and the electric transition
To help ZF meet its 2040 climate neutrality goal, the company plans to bring its 8HP Gen4 PHEV transmission, a line already available in Europe, to North America in 2025. The 8HP can be used for conventional, mild hybrid, and hybrid plug-in commercial vehicles and can offer pure electric driving.
Upgrading the plant for the new line will require a $500 million investment, a necessary cost to keep up as the industry changes, according to Stephan von Schuckmann, ZF Electrified Powertrain Technology division Board Member.
“As the industries we serve evolve, so too does ZF Gray Court, which is once again at the center of mobility transformation,” he explained.
Von Schuckmann stated that the investment will contribute toward ZF’s current “local-for-local” strategy, allowing the company to circumvent supply chain holdups by producing 80% of the its North American content locally.
“Bringing manufacturing closer to our North American customers is an important initiative for our organization,” he concluded.
