ZF to Upgrade Transmission Plant for Hybrid Drives
ZF Friedrichshafen AG plans to invest €800 million ($910 million) over the next four years to boost hybrid drive production at its transmission plant in Saarbrucken, Germany.
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ZF Friedrichshafen AG plans to invest €800 million ($910 million) over the next four years to boost hybrid drive production at its transmission plant in Saarbrucken, Germany.
The company expects hybrid drive systems will account for 50% of the plant’s production by the mid-2020s, compared with 5% today. The factory, which was opened in 1970, currently is ZF’s main manufacturing facility for 8-speed automatic transmissions.
ZF says it employs more than 9,000 people in Saarbrucken. The new investment in the complex will be used to upgrade the facility, add production equipment, implement advanced manufacturing processes and train employees. The initiative includes using artificial intelligence tools and digital manufacturing to help improve analytics and the decision-making process.
In September, ZF announced plans to invest €12 billion ($14 billion) in electrified powertrains and autonomous vehicle technologies over the next five years.
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