ZF India to Supply Nation’s First Low-Floor Electric Axle for City Buses

ZF India Pvt. Ltd. has secured a major contract with a leading Indian OEM to supply its AxTrax 2 LF electric portal axle. This unit is India’s first fully integrated low-floor e-axle for city buses. The agreement, finalised in October 2025, covers several thousand units under a multi-year program. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026 for both domestic and export markets.

The AxTrax 2 LF is designed for 18-metre articulated buses and 11-metre city buses. It replaces traditional engine, transmission, and axle systems with a single integrated unit. Its installation uses the same space and mounting points as conventional low-floor axles, making it easier for bus manufacturers to integrate without changing existing chassis designs. This ensures backward compatibility and reduces vehicle development time.

This low-floor electric axle comes in two power variants, 260 kW and 360 kW, with peak torque of up to 36,800 Nm. The system uses two permanent magnet synchronous hairpin motors, each controlled by independent 800-volt silicon carbide inverters and a dedicated electronic control unit. An integrated oil cooling system manages temperature and lubrication while reducing energy consumption in urban conditions. The 360 kW version allows articulated buses weighing up to 30 tonnes to climb gradients above 25 percent with a single driven axle.

The AxTrax 2 LF supports 6×2 and 6×4 drivetrain configurations and works with battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and trolley bus applications. Its software includes regenerative braking, torque vectoring, hill hold, cruise control, axle condition monitoring, and readiness for over-the-air updates. The product meets ISO 26262 functional safety standards and regulatory cybersecurity requirements.

Akash Passey, President of ZF Region India, highlighted that the axle’s compatibility across multiple zero-emission city bus tech platforms is a major advantage for OEMs. Paramjit Singh Chadha, Senior Vice President of Commercial Vehicle Solutions for ZF India, said that the integrated design covering propulsion, braking, suspension, and electronics helps reduce vehicle development time.

ZF also offers optional air suspension and wheel-end solutions in a modular integration package. This provides OEMs the flexibility to adapt drivetrains for different loads, terrains, and operational needs while preserving passenger space and efficiency.