German auto parts giant strengthens tech ties with Chinese automakers

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: German auto parts giant ZF is intensifying its technology cooperation with Chinese automakers, the company said on Thursday.

In a press release, ZF said it is benefiting from the increasing importance of chassis technology, driven by the future trends of e-mobility, software-defined vehicles, and automated driving.

During its Chassis Tech Day, the company showcased its modular “Chassis 2.0” approach, which integrates smart actuators, system expertise, and software know-how to unlock new avenues for growth.

Peter Holdmann, member of ZF’s Board of Management and head of Division Chassis Solutions, said the company is targeting 33 percent of the global chassis technology market by the end of the decade.

At the core of Chassis 2.0 is the industrialization of by-wire technologies, which have already been implemented in vehicles from Chinese brands. The NIO ET9 is the first mass-produced car in China equipped with ZF’s pure steer-by-wire system.

“This is a prime example of how Chinese and German companies can leverage their respective strengths for collaborative innovation,” said Zhang Hui, vice president of NIO Europe. He added that China-Germany cooperation thrives on the agility and innovation capacity of Chinese firms, paired with the engineering, safety, and industrial expertise of German manufacturers.

ZF also revealed that it has received two additional orders from Chinese automakers for its latest chassis technologies and has secured a contract with luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz.

The company has been doubling down on its investment in China, which has gone into a new R&D centre and 10 newly-built or expanded factories in the past two years. Today, nearly one-third of ZF’s 161 global production sites are located in China.