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ZF Friedrichshafen
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ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (lit. 'Friedrichshafen Gear Factory'), and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German technology manufacturing company that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. It is headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German state of Baden-Württemberg. Specializing in engineering, it is primarily known for its design, research and development, and manufacturing activities in the automotive industry and is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world.
Its products include driveline and chassis technology for cars and commercial vehicles, along with specialized plant equipment such as construction equipment. It is also involved in the rail, marine, defense and aviation industries, as well as general industrial applications. ZF has 162 production locations in 29 countries with approximately 153,000 (2025) employees.
The company was founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor of the zeppelin airship and engineer Alfred von Soden-Fraunhofen in 1915 in Friedrichshafen, Germany as a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, to manufacture gears for zeppelins and other airships. The German Zahnradfabrik translates to 'gear factory' or cogwheel factory in English.
In 1999, the steering systems division was made separate and became the new ZF Lenksysteme GmbH, a joint venture between ZF Friedrichshafen and Robert Bosch GmbH.
Due to the 2008 financial crisis, ZF took a €250 million loan from the state-owned KfW Bank and embarked on a company-wide restructure that shut down unprofitable locations, particularly outside Germany, the total number of employees was reduced from 63,000 to 59,000 worldwide. CEO Hans-Georg Härter stated that the combined effects of the loan and restructuring will eliminate the need for further employee reduction.
On 16 September 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that ZF agreed to acquire TRW Automotive Holdings for $13.5 billion. The acquisition would create the world's second largest automotive parts concern, ranked just behind Robert Bosch GmbH. To clear the way to acquire TRW Automotive Holdings, ZF Friedrichshafen AG sold its stake in ZF Lenksysteme GmbH to Robert Bosch GmbH. ZF Lenksysteme GmbH has now been renamed as Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH.
In September 2020, ZF Friedrichshafen AG entered a partnership with Aeva Inc. to put LIDAR sensors for self-driving vehicles, into production.
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ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, originally Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (lit. 'Friedrichshafen Gear Factory'), and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German technology manufacturing company that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. It is headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German state of Baden-Württemberg. Specializing in engineering, it is primarily known for its design, research and development, and manufacturing activities in the automotive industry and is one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world.
Its products include driveline and chassis technology for cars and commercial vehicles, along with specialized plant equipment such as construction equipment. It is also involved in the rail, marine, defense and aviation industries, as well as general industrial applications. ZF has 162 production locations in 29 countries with approximately 153,000 (2025) employees.
The company was founded by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the inventor of the zeppelin airship and engineer Alfred von Soden-Fraunhofen in 1915 in Friedrichshafen, Germany as a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, to manufacture gears for zeppelins and other airships. The German Zahnradfabrik translates to 'gear factory' or cogwheel factory in English.
In 1999, the steering systems division was made separate and became the new ZF Lenksysteme GmbH, a joint venture between ZF Friedrichshafen and Robert Bosch GmbH.
Due to the 2008 financial crisis, ZF took a €250 million loan from the state-owned KfW Bank and embarked on a company-wide restructure that shut down unprofitable locations, particularly outside Germany, the total number of employees was reduced from 63,000 to 59,000 worldwide. CEO Hans-Georg Härter stated that the combined effects of the loan and restructuring will eliminate the need for further employee reduction.
On 16 September 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that ZF agreed to acquire TRW Automotive Holdings for $13.5 billion. The acquisition would create the world's second largest automotive parts concern, ranked just behind Robert Bosch GmbH. To clear the way to acquire TRW Automotive Holdings, ZF Friedrichshafen AG sold its stake in ZF Lenksysteme GmbH to Robert Bosch GmbH. ZF Lenksysteme GmbH has now been renamed as Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH.
In September 2020, ZF Friedrichshafen AG entered a partnership with Aeva Inc. to put LIDAR sensors for self-driving vehicles, into production.
Some of the most important milestones:
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