What ZF Friedrichshafen makes

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is one of the largest automotive Tier 1 suppliers in the world, organized into seven divisions. Electrified Powertrain Technology builds transmissions, hybrid systems, and electric drives, including the 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission that runs in millions of passenger cars. Chassis Solutions supplies vehicle motion control for vehicles up to 7.5 tons: steering, braking, dampers, and the software that coordinates them. Commercial Vehicle Solutions serves truck and bus makers, and Industrial Technology bundles off-highway work, from construction and agricultural drivelines to marine propulsion, test systems, and gearboxes for wind turbines. An Aftermarket division supplies workshops, distributors, and fleets. Electronics and ADAS delivers driver-assistance systems; the passenger-car part of that business is being sold to Harman, while ZF keeps commercial-vehicle ADAS. Passive safety (airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels) was organized as an independent company, ZF Lifetec, in 2024.

The group runs 162 production locations in 29 countries and spent 3.3 billion euros on research and development in 2025, per the company's annual report.

Financial performance

Fiscal 2025 was a transition year on the numbers. Automotive-sector revenue was 35.6 billion euros, down 6.6 percent from 38.1 billion in 2024, with a reported EBIT margin of minus 2.8 percent versus 0.5 percent the year before, per a 2026 study of the top global automotive suppliers. On the full group perimeter, which includes industrial technology and aftermarket, the company reported sales of 38.8 billion euros (2024: 41.4 billion), adjusted EBIT of 1.7 billion euros at a 4.5 percent adjusted margin, above its own 3 to 4 percent guidance, and adjusted free cash flow of 1.4 billion euros.

The gap between the adjusted and reported figures matters. The group posted a net loss of 2.1 billion euros for 2025, its second consecutive multi-billion loss, which management attributes to a one-off charge from ending certain electrified-powertrain customer projects early as e-mobility volumes came in below plan. Net debt stood near 10.25 billion euros after a 250 million euro reduction during the year, against interest expenses that ran 735 million euros the prior year. Debt reduction is the company's stated first priority. ZF employed about 153,000 people worldwide at the end of 2025, and EMEA accounted for 49.6 percent of sales, North America 25.8 percent, Asia-Pacific 21.2 percent, and South America 3.4 percent.

Ownership and history

ZF was founded in Friedrichshafen in 1915 as a gear factory for Zeppelin airships, and the company's ownership still reflects that origin. The Zeppelin Foundation, administered by the city of Friedrichshafen, holds 93.8 percent of shares; the Dr. Juergen and Irmgard Ulderup Foundation of Lemfoerde holds 6.2 percent. ZF is not listed, though it issues bonds and publishes audited annual reports.

The current chapter is a restructuring. In September 2025 the supervisory board replaced CEO Holger Klein with Mathias Miedreich, effective at the end of that month, in the middle of negotiations over cost reductions in the powertrain business. In December 2025 the company agreed to sell its passenger-car ADAS business to Harman, a Samsung subsidiary, for 1.5 billion euros, a deal the company frames as both a debt-reduction step and a sharpening of focus on chassis, driveline, commercial vehicles, industrial technology, and aftermarket. Management has said carve-outs or IPOs of further units remain an option, and the wind-power business is being set up as an independent unit.

Certifications and quality

ZF publishes a worldwide, per-site certificate database on its website covering its plants' certified management systems. Sampled certificates from that database include ISO 14001 environmental and ISO 45001 occupational-safety certifications alongside site quality-management certificates. As with any supplier of this scale, quality approvals such as PPAP run at the plant and program level, and buyers should verify the certificate for the specific site that would serve them.

Known customers

ZF supplies most established vehicle OEMs across passenger cars and commercial vehicles, but documented program-level evidence is limited. One current program is unusually well evidenced:

Most other customer programs are known to exist from ZF's scale and OEM market position but are not publicly named at the contract level.

Sourcing intelligence

US customs bill-of-lading records show 2,057 shipments into the United States under the Zeppelin Friedrichshafen consignee record, with the most recent shipment dated September 15, 2026. All four named foreign suppliers are ZF entities or direct production partners: ZF Powertrain Modules Saltillo (Mexico), ZF Suspension Technology, ZF Chassis Technology, and Stellantis Mexico. This pattern is consistent with integrated intra-company flows across ZF's North American manufacturing network rather than open-market procurement.

The Mexico-dominant origin profile reflects ZF's Saltillo powertrain assembly hub, which feeds North American OEM plants with driveline and chassis components. Active shipments as recently as September 2026 align with ZF's 25.8 percent North America revenue share in FY2025.

2,057 shipments shown of the total record; coverage limited to the US import database. North American production and procurement spans additional cross-border flows not visible in this dataset.

Frequently asked questions

What does ZF Friedrichshafen make?

ZF makes transmissions, electric and hybrid drives, chassis systems (steering, brakes, dampers), commercial-vehicle systems, off-highway and industrial drivelines, wind-turbine gearboxes, and aftermarket parts. Its best-known single product is the 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission. Passive safety products sit in its ZF Lifetec unit, and the passenger-car ADAS business is being sold to Harman.

Who owns ZF Friedrichshafen?

ZF is foundation-owned, not publicly listed. The Zeppelin Foundation, administered by the city of Friedrichshafen, holds 93.8 percent, and the Dr. Juergen and Irmgard Ulderup Foundation holds 6.2 percent. The structure dates to the company's 1915 founding as a gear supplier for Zeppelin airships.

What is ZF Friedrichshafen's annual revenue?

Group sales were 38.8 billion euros in fiscal 2025, down from 41.4 billion in 2024. Automotive-sector revenue alone was about 35.6 billion euros, down 6.6 percent year over year. The group reported a 4.5 percent adjusted EBIT margin but a net loss of 2.1 billion euros after a one-off e-mobility charge.

Where is ZF Friedrichshafen headquartered?

ZF is headquartered at the ZF Forum, Loewentaler Strasse 20, in Friedrichshafen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, on Lake Constance. The group operates 162 production locations in 29 countries and employed about 153,000 people worldwide at the end of fiscal 2025.

Who are ZF Friedrichshafen's customers?

ZF supplies passenger-car and commercial-vehicle OEMs worldwide as well as industrial and wind-energy customers. The best-documented current program is a long-term contract signed with BMW in February 2026 for the 8HP automatic transmission, worth several billion euros through the late 2030s. Most other customer programs are not publicly named.

Last verified September 22, 2026. Is this your company? Request a correction.