Press Release
ZF Driving Change: 100 Million Electric Power Steering Systems produced
- 100 million units produced: proof of industrial scalability, quality and global customer satisfaction
- ZF's Electric Power Steering (EPS) Supports Efficient, Software-Defined Vehicle Architectures
- EPS forms the basis for steer-by-wire solutions and future software-defined vehicle functionalities
Friedrichshafen. ZF has underscored its technological leadership in electric power steering with a significant milestone: Global production of 100 million EPS systems. This achievement illustrates how the technology has developed from an alternative to hydraulics when ZF first introduced it in 2001 to a key component of modern vehicle architectures. EPS systems from ZF combine industrial scalability with a high level of system expertise and support the transition to software-defined vehicles. This shows electric power steering is becoming a core enabler of the software-defined vehicle, creating new opportunities to enhance vehicle performance, personalization, and customer value through software-based features and continuous innovation.
“Producing 100 million electric power steering systems underscores ZF’s leadership in steering technology,” said Ramiro Gutierrez, Senior Vice President, Business Unit Steering. “Today, EPS is the industry standard for efficient, scalable, and software-enabled steering, serving as a foundational technology for software-defined vehicles, and next-generation steer-by-wire.”
From efficiency gain to key technology
Traditionally, hydraulic systems dominated the market. However, with increasing requirements for energy efficiency, emissions reduction and a shift toward software-defined vehicles the demand for electric power steering has become increasingly important. Unlike hydraulic systems, electric power steering only consumes energy when the steering is engaged. This reduces energy demand and supports more ambitious emission targets. "EPS systems provide several advantages that meet new requirements for the industry," explains Gutierrez. "These include lower energy consumption, reduced CO₂ emissions and significantly improved integration capability for future software-defined functionalities."
ZF’s EPS portfolio supports a broad range of vehicle applications, from compact passenger cars to high-performance SUVs and light commercial vehicles. Available in Column-Drive, Dual-Pinion, and Belt-Drive configurations, these systems can be flexibly tailored to meet diverse vehicle and performance requirements.
Foundation for software-defined vehicles
EPS is becoming a key enabler for the software-defined vehicle and forms the basis for steer-by-wire systems, in which the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels is eliminated. ZF is a pioneer in this field with global worldwide production of its steer-by-wire system already in progress.
The success of EPS technology is based on continuous innovation and close cooperation in ZF's global production and development network with locations in Asia, Europe and North and South America.
