ZF acquires manufacturer of autonomous transport systems
The majority share in 2getthere complements ZF’s existing investments and cooperations such as the joint venture e.GO Moove GmbH with Aachen-based e.GO Mobile AG, which aims to produce the autonomous minibus e.GO Mover, and Transdev GmbH, a leading operator and global provider of integrated mobility solutions.
Founded in 2984, 2getthere specialises in the construction of driverless passenger and freight transport systems. The company’s systems operate in several major cities around the world, including Rotterdam, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and numerous airports. 2getthere’s driverless transport systems have so far transported more than 14 million people in the Rivium (Capelle aan den IJssel/Netherlands) and Masdar City (Abu Dhabi/VAE) business parks, covering a total of more than 100 million kilometres. According to ZF, the reliability of the systems installed by 2getthere, which include not only the vehicles but also the vehicle control and software architecture, should be over 99.7 percent.
The two companies intend to jointly develop technologies for autonomous transport systems in the future. “We are now a complete system provider for automated driving functions and therefore in the perfect position to support 2getthere here. We can supply the electric powertrain, sensor solutions, high-performance computing, and actuators for all stages of automated and autonomous applications,” explains Scheider. To this end, the number of engineering and software development employees at the Utrecht site is to be doubled from the current figure of 60.
“2getthere has more than 30 years of experience in the autonomous passenger transportation market and also unique engineering and software expertise. This acquisition supports our strategy of becoming a leading provider of autonomous transportation systems in the booming new mobility market,” says Wolf-Henning Scheider, Chairman of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AG. In addition, the automotive supplier wants to strengthen its position in the growth markets for “Mobility-as-a-Service”, autonomous transport systems, and shared autonomous vehicles (SAV).
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