ZF Friedrichshafen (ZF Friedrichshafen) announced that buses, buses and fleets equipped with its latest EcoLife gearbox have achieved higher fuel efficiency. Last year, the ZF EcoLife six-speed automatic transmission began trials on city double-decker buses, and it is said to save up to 16% of mpg (miles per gallon).
According to reports, ZF’s EcoLife gearbox is very mature, with mpg data exceeding 10.5 mpg. The average fuel efficiency of a standard-equipped vehicle is about 9mpg. However, due to the double-layer design of the vehicle, it will encounter aerodynamic challenges and also have a great impact on fuel consumption.
According to ZF, a medium-sized company with 150 cars consumes an average of 60,000 liters of fuel per week and costs about 42,000 pounds (approximately US$55,000) per week. Therefore, ZF stated that its gearbox can help the team save 16% of the cost each year, which is equivalent to about 75,000 pounds (about 97,750 US dollars).
The fuel test data is calculated using ZF’s cloud system OpenMatics and the customer’s independent system for monitoring fuel data, and the two systems can obtain the data more accurately.
The ZF EcoLife six-speed automatic transmission is equipped with a start-stop function, which enables countless stop and start operations, even after extended engine downtime, for example, in traffic jams (cars stopped). When designing the second-generation EcoLife gearbox, engineers modified the existing hydraulic system to utilize the pressure stored in the oil accumulator of the final drive.
ZF said that the integrated final drive can achieve leading wear-free braking performance, allowing the brakes to be close to parking, thereby extending the life cycle of the car’s braking system and protecting the environment by reducing brake dust.
From the perspective of pedestrians and passengers, European vehicle inspection company DEKRA has proven that EcoLife’s noise pollution performance is also a key advantage. The product uses spiral cutting gears and six steps to optimize the ratio, combined with ZF’s TopoDyn Life gearbox control software, can reduce the engine speed during the overall driving cycle of the vehicle, thereby not only reducing the vehicle’s exhaust emission level, but also Minimize noise within the speed range of the vehicle.
ZF’s EcoLife gearbox has been designed to cope with increasingly demanding operating environments and is suitable for medium-sized buses or 26-ton double-decker buses operating in cities and intercity.