In a showcase car based on a Porsche Taycan, automotive supplier ZF has unveiled its latest evolution of electric drive. Together with its thermal management system, the EVSys800 sets new weight, compactness, and efficiency standards. The firm eyes a market introduction in 2026.

With the EVbeat, ZF wants to demonstrate the potential of future electric drivetrain components. It was unveiled at the Global Technology Day in Friedrichshafen. The car stands out because of its optimized and integrated e-driveline system. With a 70 Nm/kg torque density – a world champion, says ZF – and a 30% reduction in power pack weight, the electric drive surpasses current market offerings.

Only 74 kilograms

The EVSys800 is an ultra-compact, lightweight 800-volt drive with silicon carbide power electronics, an electric motor, and a reduction gearbox. Despite its small size, the performance is impressive.

The maximum torque on the rear axle can attain 5 200 Newton meters. At the same time, the continuous and peak power of the electric motor reaches 206 and 275 kilowatts, respectively, achieving around 75% continuous power of the peak power. The EVSys800 weighs only 74 kilograms, contributing significantly to the car’s overall weight savings.

The technical prowess comes from a ZF first, as it introduces an innovative thermal management system that benefits by extending the vehicle’s range by up to one-third in real-world winter conditions. This so-called TherMaS system is centralized and controls the driveline and passenger compartment temperature.

Cooling by a natural refrigerant

TherMaS employs a propane-based 800-volt heat pump and intelligent software for better cooling performance and reduced energy consumption. By using natural refrigerant propane, the system only needs half the volume of the current refrigerants, while it doubles the cooling capacity. This further reduces space requirements and weight compared to conventional cooling and heating approaches.

“Our goal was to make this drive as compact and lightweight as possible while maintaining high driving dynamics and increasing efficiency in real-world operation,” said Dr. Otmar Scharrer, Head of Development for Electric Driveline Systems at ZF.

Controlled by artificial intelligence

ZF’s powertrain software also plays a crucial role in optimizing the vehicle’s performance and efficiency. This software connects various vehicle systems and enables integration with the ZF cloud.

Anticipating the thermal operating points based on individual driving profiles ensures the electric motor operates within the optimum range. By using AI-based cloud services, the system can ‘learn’ from driver behavior, according to ZF, and adapt. This flexibility translates into efficient driving recommendations, such as acceleration and deceleration strategies, optimized maximum speed, and provide accurate range predictions.

Overall, ZF’s EVbeat concept highlights where the optimization lies, outside battery improvement, to tweak the range and efficiency of electric vehicles, which suffer from excessively heavy components.