European automotive supplier ZF has officially inaugurated Germany’s first location for the industrial production of hybrid drive modules, which will first go to Mercedes-Benz for its S-Class.. Click image to enlarge

Schweinfurt, Germany – European automotive supplier ZF has officially inaugurated Germany’s first location for the industrial production of hybrid drive modules, which will first go to Mercedes-Benz for its S-Class. With the contract, ZF becomes the first European automotive supplier to produce hybrid modules in volume production.

From the fourth quarter of 2008, hybrid modules will be produced under the name DynaStart. Currently, there are eight volume production development projects for four vehicle manufacturers. Initial annual production volume is targeted for 35,000 units but can be extended to a maximum of 200,000 units per year.

In 2008, the ZF Group will invest more than €58 million in the development of hybrid technology. The electric motors were developed for integration into the driveline and are ideally suited for parallel hybrid drives, which allow for 30 per cent fuel savings and emissions reductions, depending on whether the vehicle is equipped with a mild or full hybrid system.