ZF India Secures Supply Deal for Country's First Low-Floor Electric Axle for City Buses

ZF India Pvt. Ltd. has secured a business nomination from a leading Indian original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to supply the AxTrax 2 LF, an electric portal axle that the company describes as India's first fully integrated low-floor e-axle for city buses. The nomination was awarded in October 2025 and covers several thousand units under a multi-year supply program.

The axle is intended for use in 18-metre articulated buses and 11-metre city buses. Deliveries are set to commence in 2026, with the product destined for both the domestic market and export.

The AxTrax 2 LF is designed to replace conventional engine, transmission and axle assemblies in a single unit. It uses the same installation space and mounting points as its predecessor and conventional low-floor axles, which ZF says simplifies fitment and allows backward compatibility for bus manufacturers. The system is available in two power variants — 260 kW and 360 kW continuous output — and delivers a peak torque of up to 36,800 Nm.

The axle combines two permanent magnet synchronous hairpin motors with two independent 800-volt silicon carbide (SiC) inverters and a dedicated electronic control unit. An oil cooling system — integrating a pump and heat exchanger within the axle — manages temperature and lubrication. ZF states the configuration reduces energy consumption compared to the previous generation of low-floor e-axles in typical urban operating conditions. The 360 kW variant enables a climbing capability of more than 25 percent for articulated buses weighing up to 30 tonnes when using a single driven axle.

The platform supports 6x2 and 6x4 drivetrain configurations and is compatible with battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell and trolley bus applications. The system also includes software features such as regenerative braking, torque vectoring, hill hold, cruise control, axle condition monitoring and readiness for over-the-air (OTA) software updates. ZF says the product meets ISO 26262 functional safety standards and regulatory cybersecurity requirements.

Akash Passey, President of ZF Region India, said the product's compatibility with multiple zero-emission platforms was central to its value for OEMs. Paramjit Singh Chadha, Senior Vice President of Commercial Vehicle Solutions for ZF Group in India, said the integrated architecture — covering propulsion, braking, suspension and electronics — was intended to reduce vehicle development time for manufacturers.

ZF offers the axle alongside optional air suspension and wheel-end solutions as part of a modular integration package, which it says gives OEMs flexibility to configure drivetrains for different loads, terrains and operational requirements.