ZF has won its first customer order for its advanced eRE+ range extender technology: Chinese automaker Leapmotor will offer a version of its premium SUV D19 with a range extender from ZF starting in 2026.
In standard range extender operation, i.e., generator mode, a combustion engine drives the electric motor, charges the high-voltage battery and thus extends its range. The eRE+ technology also offers switchable all-wheel drive via the front axle and, with a drive power of up to 200 kW, provides an additional boost for overtaking manoeuvres.
“Range extenders are currently in increasing demand, especially in the Chinese and North American automotive markets,” explains Sebastian Schmitt, head of ZF’s Electrified Drive Technologies division. While REEVs (range-extended electric vehicles) are considered a variant of so-called “new energy vehicles” in the Far East, in which a smaller battery can be charged by a combustion engine while driving, they are also an increasingly popular option in the USA for battery-powered vehicles that are independent of the 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 Meisel, Senior Vice President of Electrified Powertrain Technology Division, Asia Pacific.
The Leapmotor D19 is the first to use ZF’s advanced range extender technology, known as eRE+. Like the eRE, it is based on an electric motor with an integrated inverter, matching software and planetary gearbox. While the eRE is designed purely as a power generator, the eRE+ also features an intelligent clutch and differential. This allows it to act as a secondary drive at times.
Thanks to eRE+, car manufacturers can offer switchable all-wheel drive functionality and a boost without having to install separate components or incur additional development costs. The eRE+ used for the D19 has a generator output of 90 kW and a peak drive output of 200 kW. With ZF eRE+ technology, the SUV achieves a total range of more than 1,000 kilometres. The combustion engine used is not included in the scope of delivery from ZF.
The range extender’s engine always runs in the most fuel-efficient power range, which ensures low fuel consumption and, as a result, low CO2 emissions. “Range-extender technology builds a 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 Mathias Miedreich, CEO of ZF.
Range extenders also offer low additional costs, short development times and low platform costs. This also simplifies supply chains and makes the technology attractive to all manufacturers whose models do not rely on traditional combustion engine powertrains. “With our range extender, we can overcome range anxiety among end customers while effectively supporting EU climate targets. Our technology thus combines the advantages of electric mobility with the flexibility that consumers expect. 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,” says Miedreich.
