Pune: ZF India Pvt. Ltd. has secured a landmark business nomination from a leading Indian commercial vehicle OEM for its next-generation electric portal axle, AxTrax 2 LF.
The nomination, awarded in October 2025, covers several thousand units under a multi-year supply program, with deliveries of AxTrax 2 LF scheduled to commence in 2026 for both domestic and export markets.
The AxTrax 2 LF will power 18-metre articulated buses and 11-metre city bus applications, reinforcing ZF’s commitment to sustainable mobility and innovation in commercial vehicles.
With this nomination, AxTrax 2 LF marks a significant milestone in India’s electric bus ecosystem, positioning the country as a key contributor to next-generation zero-emission mobility solutions.
Multi-Year Supply Program
The business nomination for AxTrax 2 LF secured in October 2025 covers several thousand units over a multi-year period. Deliveries are set to begin in 2026, addressing both domestic and export requirements.
The AxTrax 2 LF has been engineered as a fully dressed, compact, and lightweight low-floor e-axle designed to replace conventional engine, transmission, and axle systems in city buses.
With its space-efficient architecture, AxTrax 2 LF maximizes room for batteries and passengers while ensuring quiet and smooth operation.
Importantly, the AxTrax 2 LF uses similar installation space and identical mounting points as previous-generation and conventional low-floor axles, enabling simplified interchangeability and backward compatibility for OEMs.
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Advanced eDrive Architecture and High-Efficiency Design
Built on ZF’s modular eDrive platform, AxTrax 2 LF integrates two permanent magnet synchronous (PMS) hairpin motors, two independent 800 Volt silicon carbide (SiC) inverters, and a high-performance electronic control unit (ECU).
The advanced design of AxTrax 2 LF also incorporates an oil cooling system with an integrated e-pump and heat exchanger, dynamically optimizing efficiency, temperature, and lubrication.
The higher-powered variant of AxTrax 2 LF delivers up to 360 kW continuous power, peak torque of up to 36,800 Nm, and supports more than 25% climbing capability for articulated buses up to 30 tonnes with a single driven axle.
Compared to previous-generation systems, AxTrax 2 LF offers lower energy consumption in typical urban duty cycles.
This versatile platform supports 6×2 and 6×4 configurations and is compatible with battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and trolley bus applications.
AxTrax 2 LF also meets advanced safety and cybersecurity requirements and incorporates robust thermal management features to ensure durability and sustained performance.
“AxTrax 2 LF enables OEMs design buses that maximize passenger and battery space while delivering superior efficiency and reliability.” stated Akash Passey, President – ZF Region India.
“Its compatibility with battery-electric; fuel cell and trolley bus platforms enable ZF to address the zero-emission mobility aspirations and reinforces the country’s emerging role in next-generation commercial vehicle technology.”
“By combining propulsion, braking, suspension, low noise, comfort, safety and intelligent electronics within a compact architecture, ZF helps OEMs simplify vehicle design and accelerate development timelines. Our focus remains on partnering with customers to enable reliable, efficient and future-ready solutions for zero-emission transportation in India.” said Paramjit Singh Chadha, Sr Vice President – CVS, ZF Group (Region India).
Integrated System and Software Capabilities
Beyond hardware integration, AxTrax 2 LF incorporates advanced software functionalities including axle condition monitoring, hill hold, cruise control, acceleration limit, torque vectoring, creep function, regenerative braking, cybersecurity features, and readiness for Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates.
ZF provides OEMs with a fully integrated e-axle system that includes harmonized air suspension and wheel-end solutions. The AxTrax 2 LF modular architecture simplifies vehicle integration, accelerates time-to-market, and enables manufacturers to configure drivetrains for varying loads, terrains, and efficiency requirements without redesigning the entire vehicle.
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Key Highlights of AxTrax 2 LF
- Designed to fulfill the highest functional safety requirements (ISO 26262) and regulatory cybersecurity standards.
- Two variants: 260 kW and 360 kW continuous power; peak torque up to 36,800 Nm; more than 25% climbing capability for 30-tonne articulated buses with one driven axle.
- Advanced oil-cooled motors and 800 V SiC inverters enable lower energy consumption compared to the previous low-floor e-axle.
- Optional ZF air suspension and wheel-end solutions; space-efficient design simplifies OEM integration and maximizes passenger and battery space.
- Compatible with 6×2 and 6×4 drivetrains, supporting battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and trolley bus platforms.
- OTA-ready electronics and condition monitoring for optimized uptime.
This milestone strengthens ZF’s leadership in e-mobility and underscores its capability to deliver advanced, integrated solutions tailored to diverse market requirements, with AxTrax 2 LF positioned at the forefront of low-floor electric axle innovation for city buses.
