ZFs Innovation Truck offers a glimpse of the future

14/07/2014

The ZF Innovation Truck - with a length of over 25 metres - can be easily manoeuvred into its packing space via remote control.

A joint realisation of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, ZF Lenksysteme GmbH and the telematics specialist Openmatics s.r.o., the truck highlights how OEMs, logistics companies, and truck drivers can benefit from the innovative integration of advanced transmission, steering, and telematics systems.

The ZF Innovation Truck can, for example, be manoeuvred into the desired position remotely via a tablet app – easily, quickly, precisely, and with zero local emissions thanks to the hybrid drive. In addition, the concept presented at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2014 for the first time has many further advantages.

“With our Innovation Truck, we illustrate the additional potential already present in our current technologies,” explains ZF’s CEO Dr. Stefan Sommer. “We have realised completely new assistant functions that are incredibly efficient and, at the same time, relatively simple to implement. They can also provide answers to many of the complex challenges that forwarding and logistics companies face on a daily basis.”

“The maneuvering assistant in the Innovation Truck completely relieves the driver of this steering work and much more,” adds Olrik Weinmann, project manager in Advanced Engineering and Testing at ZF. “They can get out and move the tractor-trailer to the exact position required with only small finger movements and using a special tablet app.”