Press Release
ZF Showcases Latest Safety & Motion Systems for Software Driven Commercial Vehicles
- ZF showcases its latest safety and motion system innovations that improve operational efficiency and safety while enabling future needs and architectures driven by software-defined commercial vehicles and AI ahead of IAA Transportation 2026.
- The adoption of new technologies is progressing at different speeds across regions. While the industry is converging on a shared vision of the future commercial vehicle, market realities show that the journey is non-linear. Enabling customers to follow their specific business needs and technology paths with best balanced flexibility is at the core of ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Division’s mission.
- ZF therefore focuses on flexible integration of multiple system architectures and building vehicle intelligence to support OEMs and fleets to enhance vehicle safety and operational efficiency while safeguarding existing investments.
Friedrichshafen / Hanover, Germany. At its test track near Hanover, ZF is demonstrating its latest safety and motion system innovations ahead of IAA Transportation 2026. These technologies support customers on their specific pathways toward cleaner, safer, smarter and more efficient commercial vehicles, improving operational efficiency today while enabling future-ready architectures driven by software-defined commercial vehicles and AI. With technology adoption progressing at different degree, pace and scale across regions, ZF emphasizes that the transition to next-generations commercial vehicles is non-linear despite a clear long-term vision – further expanded by increasing diversity of global regulations. Enabling customers to grow their specific business and technology evolutions with maximum flexibility is central to ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Division’s approach. To achieve this, ZF focuses on flexible system architectures and system intelligence that improve safety, efficiency and total cost of ownership while protecting existing investments.
Rather than focusing on disruptive change only, ZF follows an evolutionary approach, building on scalable platforms, flexible E/E architectures, system intelligence and digital eco-systems. This allows OEMs and fleets to continuously improve efficiency, safety, uptime, and total cost of ownership across the entire vehicle lifecycle while ensuring a sustainable utilization of existing investments.
“The direction toward the commercial vehicle of the future is crystalizing, but the path is non-linear and iterative,” said Andreas Moser, Member of the ZF Board of Management and Head of Commercial Vehicle Solutions Division. “At CV Tech Day, we demonstrate how we support our customers with practical solutions that deliver value today and enable a cost-efficient, scalable transition toward zero accidents and zero emissions.”
Software defined vehicle architecture: the next technological step
ZF sees fundamental differences between the requirements for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, which will have an impact on future architectures and solutions, with commercial vehicles prioritizing productivity, total cost of ownership, lifecycle management, and upgradeability to address increasing complexity while remaining safe, efficient, and economically viable. ZF addresses these challenges with purpose-driven, flexible E/E and system architectures that gradually transform vehicles into flexible, upgradeable platforms. This enables continuous improvements across the vehicle lifecycle, such as enhanced sensing capability, reduced energy consumption, predictive maintenance and increased uptime.
“Software and connected system intelligence are becoming the key ingredients to unlock next level potentials of commercial vehicles,” said Ivan Brajdic, Head of R&D, Commercial Vehicle Solutions Division. “Our approach to software- and feature-driven commercial vehicles is evolutionary, not revolutionary. We combine our system expertise across ADAS, braking, electrified drivetrains, steering and suspension with an evolution in E/E and software architectures to enable vehicles to continuously improve, enhancing safety, efficiency and uptime over their entire lifecycle.”
To support real‑world deployment at scale, beside fundamental enablers like system scalability, regulatory readiness or reduced total cost of ownership, ZF’s approach also considers a purpose-driven and smart co-existence of different E/E- & software architectures - so customers can move forward confidently without disrupting existing platforms or operating models.
From Isolated Functions to scalable 360° Safety
ZF demonstrates how vehicles evolve from individual driver assistance functions to system-level safety. Scalable radar and camera sensor systems around the truck and trailer enable continuous 360° perception without blind spots, with ADAS, braking and steering working together as an integrated safety ecosystem supporting the long‑term vision of zero accidents.
ZF’s next-generation ADAS architecture integrates new cameras and radar sensors across the truck and trailer through a truck-trailer link, powered by required network and computing technology (ECUs). This approach enables enhanced scalability and a clear pathway toward higher levels of automation.
This system-level approach extends beyond the truck itself: integrated trailer solutions, including trailer camera monitoring systems, expand visibility across the entire vehicle combination and support safer maneuvering and turning. Advanced reversing assistance can detect obstacles behind the trailer and trigger braking, reducing collision risks during yard and loading operations.
For highway and urban driving, ZF’s Driver Monitoring System further contributes to safety by detecting driver distraction or fatigue and enabling real-time warnings to help prevent accidents caused by human error, in compliance with the latest GSR requirements. In low-speed scenarios, warning and active braking assist during nearside turning and moving off enhance the protection of vulnerable road users in urban traffic. Additionally, Rescue Assist detects approaching emergency vehicles early by using acoustic siren recognition.
City Buses: Safer, More Precise, More Efficient Urban Operation
ZF also demonstrates how it enhances safety in urban environments with dedicated solutions for city buses. City Bus CMS enhances safety with a bus‑specific braking profile designed to mitigate collisions and protect standing passengers at the same time. City Bus Assist, a perception sensor-based solution, supports precise bus stop approaches by assisting steering and detecting curb height, thus reducing infrastructure and tire damage and improving vehicle uptime. Thanks to the integrated control of OptiRide ECAS functions, it enables automated kneeling and facilitates smoother and more accessible boarding.
Additionally, CDC Skyhook uses a software‑based damping algorithm to continuously adapt damper characteristics in real time, enhancing vehicle stability and ride comfort. This automated adjustment based on input from various external sensors and CAN signals directly supports safer, smoother operation in complex urban environments
Smooth Pathways Toward Decarbonized Transport
ZF underlines that there is no single electrification solution for all commercial vehicle use cases. The transition to zero-emission transport must be pragmatic, scalable and economically feasible.
ZF therefore offers a flexible and scalable path to electrification, tailored to different applications: from hybrid solutions such as the award-winning hybridized automated transmission (TraXon 2 Hybrid) supporting both full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid applications with a highly efficient P2 layout, to modular electric driveline systems including central drives (CeTrax 2, CeTrax 2 dual) and electric axles (AxTrax 2, AxTrax 2 dual, AxTrax 2 LF), OEMs can electrify existing platforms with minimal disruption and maximum flexibility. Fleets benefit from improved efficiency and lower total cost of ownership throughout the transition. ZF’s electric axle solutions also support electrification of trailers and enable energy recuperation to support traction, improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Additionally, we also maximize synergies between our braking and driveline solutions across all vehicle segments.
TraXon 2 Hybrid supports the next decade of electrified transport with electric launch capability, energy recuperation and flexible drive modes, reducing fuel consumption and emissions while maintaining performance and reliability as a practical, cost‑efficient bridge toward further electrification.
ZF extends electrification beyond the driveline to auxiliary systems, such as the e-comp Scroll compressor. As compressed air remains essential for key functions such as service brakes and suspension in electrified vehicles, the e-comp Scroll represents a critical transition technology while enabling low-noise, energy-efficient operation and supporting future noise emission requirements. In addition, its oil-free design eliminates the need for lubrication completely and improves compressed air quality, preventing long-term degradation of air-consuming components, and avoiding any risk of oil contamination in the environment.
Software as the Enabler of New CV Capabilities
ZF highlights software and system-combined intelligence as the foundation of new commercial vehicle capabilities. Vehicle systems are evolving from signal-based to service-oriented architectures, enabling scalable vehicle-to-infrastructure connectivity, on-demand functions and automated configuration for specific use cases demonstrated at CV Tech Day, to support a fully integrated logistic chain. Existing hardware can deliver new functionality through software alone.
ZF showcases solutions such as seamless connectivity between truck and trailer data, automated yard zone configuration, emergency stop functions based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals triggered by vests worn by yard operators and remote vehicle access, including interaction with vehicle safety systems such as the electro-pneumatic handbrake.
ZF’s intelligent trailer technologies and services extend this approach beyond the truck, supporting seamless operation from yard and dock to on-road transport. Functions such as in-cabin trailer control and assisted ramp approach enhance operational efficiency, ease of use and system intelligence across the entire vehicle combination.
These developments illustrate how commercial vehicles are becoming part of connected operational ecosystems, where software and system intelligence unlock efficiency, uptime and safety gains beyond traditional driving scenarios. Existing ZF series technologies, embedded and co-existing with service-oriented architectures, can already be leveraged today to optimize cargo and people transportation.
A Step‑by‑Step Transformation That Protects Investments
As a pre-IAA event, CV Tech Day 2026 highlights ZF’s integrated approach to transforming commercial vehicles. At the core is its evolutional approach towards software-defined vehicle concepts, combining flexible E/E and software architectures as well as their seamless integration on system and vehicle level. This enables a step-by-step transformation that protects existing investments while delivering immediate value. This helps OEMs and fleets bridge today’s operations with tomorrow’s requirements.
With the technologies presented at CV Tech Day 2026, ZF is providing a preview of what will be on show at the upcoming IAA Transportation in Hannover, Germany. Visit Hall 21, Booth B42, from September 15 to 20, 2026, to experience many of ZF’s innovative solutions firsthand and exchange ideas with ZF experts.
