ZF Aftermarket tells motor factors that in order to be successful in the future, they must embrace electric vehicles.
ZF estimates that by 2030, around one third of all vehicles produced worldwide will be purely electric or hybrid electric. This is backed by figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which estimates that by 2030, there will be roughly one electric car on the road for every person in Japan, the world’s 11th most populous country – that’s about 125 million. This, in a nutshell, means that the automotive world is changing, and to remain competitive, the aftermarket has to follow suit. Not only do garage technicians need to be able to deal with these vehicles safely, but the motor factors that supply them need to quickly get up to speed, to harness the power of the sale, service and repair of EV parts given the sector’s powerful growth.
The powerful growth of the electric sector will be spurred by policies that encourage drivers, fleets and municipalities to purchase clean-running cars. Low emission zones are now in place in 200 cities across Europe. On 8th April 2019, London took things a step further by becoming the first city to introduce an ‘ultra-low’ emission zone, a model which will almost certainly be replicated across other cities. This is a move that will encourage governments to incentivise EV ownership, and drivers to change their vehicle for a lower emissions alternative; driving aftermarket growth.
Electric Blue
In September 2018, under its TRW brand, ZF Aftermarket introduced the first brake pad specifically designed for electric vehicles. With a staggering 97% of the European electric car parc covered within months of launch, including Tesla and the Nissan Leaf, demand is only set to increase. The program, known as Electric Blue, will be expanded with products for hybrid that are already in the testing process. This has been a complete game changer. Prior to this, drivers of electric vehicles had to return to their main dealers for a simple brake pad change.
This brake pad emits less dust into the atmosphere. It also emits less harmful metals, such as copper, that can pollute our waters. Studies have raised concerns about the lack of external noise that EVs produce, from a safety aspect, and this is something that the vehicle manufacturers are working on. Internal noise, however, is unacceptable to drivers today. This product minimises component noise and vibration from inside the vehicle. Made with a new FMG 53 material that produces less NVH compared to standard material when supported by a special multilayer shim and coated noise damping accessories, tests show this is much quieter than those fitted to traditional vehicles, whereby any noise is masked by the sound of the engine.
For some workshops, the growing shift away from conventional vehicles towards electric is a cause for concern. However, ZF Aftermarket adopts the policy that with preparation and targeted strategy, opportunities are to be found within any change, and is thus embracing the growth of the electric vehicle market. Actively shaping the next generation aftermarket, at an early stage, ZF Aftermarket developed training courses to enable technicians to deal with high voltage systems and safely fit electric parts.
“Electric vehicles are here to stay,” says Martyn Houghton, Senior Manager, UK IAM, ZF Aftermarket. “In the aftermarket, we are really only at the beginning of this journey. At ZF, we see big opportunities for members of the distribution network and workshops that adapt to accommodate this change, and firmly believe that those who capitalise on this now will be long term leaders destined for success.”
