The new Plug-in Transmission from ZF

摘要

Within the automotive industry, various paths are being followed in attempts to respond both to increasing fuel prices and to the necessity of reducing CO2 emissions to slow down global warming. The rigorous implementation of optimization measures on combustion engines and transmissions as well as the increased use of hybrid technology offer the possibility of achieving short-term and medium-term CO2 targets. In the medium-term, measures such as the development of alternative fuels and plug-in vehicies will influence the market. These measures complement each other and thus do not compete with each other. In a fictitious world of purely electric drivelines, conventional technologies would be replaced. In this scenario, hybrid technology - in its various solutions as full hybrid and plug-in hybrid - could be called a "transitional solution." Today, however, many experts agree that a complete transition to electric vehicles will only come much later. In light of this assessment and of the slow volume development of hybrid vehicles, a modular concept to electrify transmissions is of essential importance. For this reason, ZF continues to pursue the development of the modular kit for hybrid transmissions. After the mild and full hybrid transmissions, development began on a plug-in transmission. This article describes the system architecture as well as various components such as the damper, separating clutch, electric motor and electric pump of the plug-in transmission.