ZF to supply range extender for Leapmotor D19

At Auto China in Shanghai in April, ZF unveiled two new range-extender systems that can extend the range of an electric car using an internal combustion engine acting as a generator. The Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor, supported by the European automotive group Stellantis, has now decided to equip its new flagship model D19 with range extenders from the supplier based at Lake Constance. However, these range extenders will be manufactured directly in China.Leapmotor has opted for the eRE+ variant, which ZF describes as “further developed” compared to the simpler eRE system. In addition to standard generator operation, the eRE+ offers engageable all-wheel drive via the front axle and can deliver an additional boost for overtaking manoeuvres with a drive power of up to 200 kW, according to the Friedrichshafen-based company.The D19, a 5.20-metre SUV, is available from Leapmotor as a battery-electric vehicle with a large 115 kWh battery and a CLTC range of 720 km, though this version does not include the eRE+. Alternatively, from 2026, it will also be offered with ZF’s range extender, achieving a total CLTC range of over 1,000 kilometres. Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs) are currently particularly popular in rural China and have recently achieved higher growth rates in the overall market than battery-electric cars.“Range extenders are currently in increasing demand, especially in the Chinese and North American automotive markets,” explains Sebastian Schmitt, Head of ZF’s Electrified Powertrain Technologies division. They are designed to help battery-electric vehicles remain mobile independently of charging infrastructure. “We responded to this demand in good time with a flexible range of range extender technology and local production capacities. This strategy has borne fruit and led to our new order for Leapmotor,” says Timo Maisel, responsible for the Electrified Powertrain Technology division in Asia.The basis of the enhanced range extender eRE+ is an electric machine with an integrated inverter, corresponding software, and a planetary gearbox. While the smaller eRE variant is designed purely as a power generator, the eRE+ additionally features an intelligent clutch and differential. This allows it to be used as a temporarily engageable secondary drive for all-wheel-drive vehicles. The eRE+ used in the Leapmotor D19 delivers 90 kW of generator power, with ZF offering the eRE+ in a range from 70 to 150 kW. In the aforementioned boost mode, the eRE+ can briefly achieve a peak power of 200 kW. The internal combustion engine used in this setup is not sourced from ZF.Mathias Miedreich, ZF’s newly appointed CEO as of September, sees range extenders as “bridge between today s customer needs and the fully electric future. It makes an important contribution to significantly reducing CO2 emissions and helps models based on pure electric platforms achieve greater acceptance and market penetration,” says Miedreich. Range extenders could “overcome range anxiety among end customers while effectively supporting EU climate targets,” he added, concluding with a political demand: “EU approval of the range extender beyond 2035 would be a pragmatic step that would fit in with Brussels’ more realistic view of the ramp-up of e-mobility.”zf.comThis article was first published byFlorian Treißfor electrive’s German edition.