Major German car parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen is investing a hefty $500 million into its transmission plant in South Carolina – all to transform it into a “flexible manufacturer of parts” for both ICE and plug-in hybrids, and for both passenger cars and large commercial vehicles by launching production of its PowerLine transmission in the US.
In a release, ZF said it will add new product lines over the next few years at its massive 1.7 million-square-foot Gray Court plant just south of Greenville, South Carolina. The company will also produce in North America for the first time its fourth-gen eight-speed transmission for plug-in hybrids, which ZF supplies in Germany for the BMW 7 Series and X5.
ZF’s PowerLine transmission has a modular design that the company says can save up to 10% in fuel compared to other transmissions. And the PowerLine’s…