ZF’s new 800V Test & Validation Laboratory in the UK

The main aim is to accelerate the adoption of 800V architectures with improved efficiency, charging and vehicle performance advantages for electric vehicles (EVs).

Developed and installed with a project cost partially funded by the APC, the 800V Test & Validation Laboratory will offer ZF and its customers much-needed specialist hazardous voltage (HV) testing capacity to roll out its introduction and benefits.

To enable more next-generation mobility projects to take advantage of the benefits of switching to 800V, ZF will also offer validation testing to third parties. The facility already holds several national, international and customer accreditations to work with tier-one suppliers and OEMs.

“OEMs want the compelling benefits of 800V but finding facilities capable of validating these higher-rated systems has not been easy,” says Adrian Mitcham, Head of Special Applications at ZF.  “Just like our world-class EMC and climatic chambers on the same site, we plan to offer 800V validation services to external organisations so that more of the benefits can be realised in the wider mobility sector.

Currently, most EVs are based on 400V architectures and need approximately 20 minutes of charging to add 200 kilometres of range. An 800V EV would need just half that time. 800V systems unlock further efficiencies such as lower gauge and therefore lighter wiring. When combined with Silicon Carbide MOSFETs, up to 10% efficiency gains are possible, which could ultimately lead to downsized batteries or improved vehicle range.

ZF has developed a highly scalable and modular inverter architecture that allows maximum flexibility in both 400V and 800V voltage classes and the facility is now ramping up testing for ZF’s global product development teams. One of the first developments tested was for truck and bus applications, with ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division using the facility to validate a new fuel cell air compressor for the segment. More recently, ZF CVS validated a new fuel cell Hydrogen Recirculation Blower, which the company unveiled at the IAA Transportation 2024 last month.  

The 800V Test & Validation Laboratory is ZF’s first dedicated facility and one of just a handful in the UK. Measuring 46sqm, the unit can accommodate anything from the smallest modules to a full E-drive truck axle. It was designed from the ground up by ZF’s HV team with safety paramount. An interlocked and monitored door ensures the entire laboratory forms a secure safety cell. A number of other safety measures have been undertaken as part of the installation, including active discharge resistance to remove hazardous energy as quickly as possible in an emergency and having instrumentation accessed over an optically isolated link. The facility has been designed with future expansion in mind: adjacent, additional floorspace is available if required, while the infrastructure is also future-proofed with power supplies capable of handling 1,500V DC at 45kW, with the possibility to increase this to 90kW. 

 The site will also be made available for academic projects. The site is already actively supporting the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) HV training and ZF plans to use the 800V Test & Validation Laboratory to ready engineers in the UK to be capable of working safely on such systems.