ZF sees the Level 2+ autonomous systems as having the greatest potential in passenger vehicles, according to the company which is displaying its technologies this week at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. ZF’s Level 2+ system for passenger vehicles is priced at less than $1,000, the company says.
“ZF already offers complete systems at different price and performance levels and is active in all relevant fields of application with passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and industrial technology,” said ZF CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider. The company has scaled its broad technology offering to meet virtually any requirement. “With ZF coASSIST, we are making a Level 2+ system for the first time, with safety and comfort functions familiar from the luxury class that can be achieved for inexpensive vehicle segments,” Scheider added.
The company has received a major order from a renowned Asian car manufacturer to supply the coASSIST Level 2+ entry-level system for passenger cars from the end of 2020, the company says. ZF will supply the system and software development as well as sensor technology and central electronic control units, the company said. This technology will functions such as adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane change assist, lane keeping assist and traffic jam support, the company says.
The company offers other Level 2+ systems such as ZF coDRIVE and ZF coPILOT.
Currently, ZF sees Level 4 autonomous technologies as best suited for commercial vehicles.
”We are already seeing strong demand for systems that make fully automated driving to Level 4 and higher possible,” Scheider said. Based on the ZF ProAI supercomputer, ZF is currently developing the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for a Level 4 system for an international commercial vehicle manufacturer, the company said. The market launch is scheduled for 2024/25.
ZF also is working with Microsoft to improve its processes and methods to allow ZF to use its global resources more efficiently and better respond to customer needs. “The mobility industry continues to undergo major changes. This is the reason why ZF, too, must continue to change, develop and drive transformation: We have to be able to convince our customers with innovations that offer them – and ultimately the end consumers – added value. And in the future, this will increasingly include software products and services,” Scheider said.
