ZF’s ePTO will equip Mercedes-Benz electric trucks
At IFAT we saw some results of the collaboration promoted by ZF and Mercedes-Benz Trucks with Palfinger, a primary producer of crane and lifting solutions, to equip a Mercedes-Benz eActros demonstration truck with a skip loader.
It’s called eWork the ePTO (electric Power Take-Off) developed by ZF and chosen by Mercedes-Benz to equip the group’s newly released electric trucks. According to ZF, the eWorX all-in-one solution offers vehicle body manufacturers a known mechanical interface to drive work equipment.
«In close partnership with Mercedes-Benz Trucks, this further expansion of our eMobility portfolio represents another proof point for the Group’s Next Generation Mobility strategy», said Wilhelm Rehm, member of the ZF Board of Management with responsibility for ZF’s new Commercial Vehicle Solutions division. «eWorX is supporting the electric transformation of the commercial vehicle industry for a more sustainable future».
ZF’s ePTO: two demonstrations at IFAT trade fair
At IFAT, the leading trade fair for environmental technologies held last week in Munich, we saw some results of the collaboration promoted by ZF and Mercedes-Benz Trucks with Palfinger, a primary producer of crane and lifting solutions, to equip a Mercedes-Benz eActros demonstration truck with a skip loader. Additionally, ZF has applied eWorX to an eActros equipped with a hook loader from Meiller, a global leader in tipping trailers, hook lifts and skip handlers.
The eWorX system installed in the demonstration vehicles features an electric motor with nominal power of 50 kW, an inverter and a control unit with application-specific software as well as a cooling system and a hydraulic pump. eWorX acts as a gateway between the vehicle and its on-board equipment, with seamless communication via a connection to the vehicle’s CAN bus.
How the system actually works
The system operates independently from the driving system and so can be used with electric axle drives and central drives. The traction battery of the eActros provides electrical energy to the ZF eWorX system. With this, the eWorX electric motor in turn drives the hydraulic pump for the tipper. A mechanical connection to the traction motor is therefore not required.
At IFAT, Mercedes-Benz launched the eEconic, that is to say the electric version of the truck designed by the German manufacturer as for waste collection and management.
