ZF Announces $200 Million Investment in North American Commercial Vehicle Transmission Manufacturing
February 5, 2021
- ZF PowerLine 8-speed automatic transmission technology sets benchmark for medium-duty commercial vehicle trucks, buses and heavy-duty pickup trucks
- With passenger car comfort, unparalleled commercial vehicle performance, advanced safety technology and double-digit fuel savings potential, ZF PowerLine sets a new standard for commercial vehicle powertrain experience
- Multiple North American customers have signed multiyear contracts, U.S. production will begin in 2023
- $200 million investment over the next three years in local production at ZF’s automatic transmissions facility in Gray Court, SC; addition of 500 U.S. jobs
ZF announced it is investing $200 million in commercial vehicle transmission manufacturing in North America. Beginning in 2023, ZF will produce the ZF PowerLine 8- speed automatic transmission at the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Gray Court, SC. The additional production line at ZF Gray Court will result in more than 500 American jobs.
“ZF is a 106-year-old technology leader that has been in the U.S. for many decades, and this investment in U.S. manufacturing of sustainable driveline technology further proves our commitment to the North American commercial vehicle market,” explained Dr. Martin Fischer, President of ZF North America and Member of the Board of Management. “Together now with WABCO, ZF offers customers around the world an unrivaled product portfolio that includes driveline, steering, braking, ADAS technologies and telematics, coupled with a full-service network.”
Powerful. Efficient. Reliable.
The ZF PowerLine transmission is designed for medium-duty commercial vehicle trucks, buses and heavy-duty pickup trucks. The transmission is based on ZF’s 8-speed automatic transmission benchmark design, which provides maximum spread with fewer moving parts, reduced friction and less fluid. ZF PowerLine provides an incomparable total cost of ownership (TCO) with minimal maintenance, best-in-class fuel efficiency potential in the double digits, and highly integrated shift algorithms that promote up to 15% enhanced acceleration performance.
“ZF PowerLine proves equal, but in most cases, higher performance and efficiency than other transmissions with 9 and 10 speeds. It will set the new benchmark for automatic transmission technology in the strategic North American commercial vehicle market,” explained Christian Feldhaus, Director Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technology North America, ZF. “With its modular design, PowerLine is prepared for mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants, making it a true technology bridge to future mobility.”
ZF began production of the PowerLine 8-speed automatic transmission at its global headquarters in Friedrichshafen, Germany, at the end of 2020 and made its first supply to North American customers in 2021. In 2023, volume production will begin in the U.S. and will exclusively serve North American market demand.
ZF Transmissions Gray Court: A Center of Excellence 
The U.S. home of PowerLine is ZF Transmissions Gray Court, located in Gray Court, South Carolina, just outside of Greenville – home to BMW, Michelin and other top global suppliers. “We started production in 2012 with our 8- and 9-speed automatic transmissions and quickly became a center of manufacturing excellence. As a result, we’ve been expanding our manufacturing footprint since our grand opening,” explained Thomas Joos, Vice President of ZF Transmissions Gray Court. “With the support of a dedicated workforce and collaborative regional partners, we are looking forward to adding the PowerLine to our facility.”
Since opening in 2012, the facility has produced 5.5 million automatic transmissions. Today, the 1,687,000 square-foot facility employs 2,200 people with capacity to produce 1.2 million transmissions per year.
A Transmission Leader
ZF has been producing gears since 1915 when the company was founded to manufacture components for the Zeppelin airship. Since 2009, ZF has produced approximately 22.5 million 8-speed transmissions for passenger cars and light commercial vehicle customers around the world. Today, ZF is a leader in four technology domains: Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Automated Driving and Electric Mobility.
