ZF Aftermarket announced it is taking its range for the electric drivetrain to the next level. Following products from the maintenance area, such as the ZF Lifeguard e-Fluids developed especially for electric and hybrid vehicles, the first products from the repair area are now available.

With the new repair kits, independent shops now have access to specific spare parts for electric axle drives, ZF Aftermarket said. They will be presented to the public for the first time at Automechanika Shanghai, Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2023.

Electric motors are considered to be particularly low-wear and have only a few moving parts compared to combustion engines. That doesn’t mean that electric cars will not eventually require drive system repairs, according to ZF Aftermarket. After years of use, damage to components can occur – whether due to dirt or corrosion of contact points, loss of sealing, incidental damage or accidents.

It is often peripheral parts such as sensors, plugs, housings or cables that are affected, as opposed to central components such as electric motor or power electronics, ZF said. “Until now, spare parts were only available from the car manufacturer because most electric cars were still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. This is changing as vehicles get older,” the company added.

ZF said it is now making its products available to the independent aftermarket for the first time via its aftermarket division. These are initially specially compiled kits for a total of 43 repair applications on electric axle drives. With the new kits, workshops can carry out the following repairs, for example:

-Replace leaking coolant connections
-Repair defective parking locks
-Replace engine mounts (e.g. after an accident)
-Change speed or temperature sensors
-Replace driveshafts

The kits contain all the spare parts, fastening elements and tools required for the respective repair. None of this work requires the electric motor or the electric axle drive to be removed; however, shops must ensure that only people with high-voltage training carry out the relevant work, ZF advised. In order to de-energize the vehicles for repair, training level 2S in accordance with DGUV 209-093 is required. The necessary training course is available from ZF Aftermarket, the company said.

For more information, visit www.zf.com.