VERNON HILLS, Ill. — ZF Aftermarket has introduced its TRW Electric Blue Brake Pads for the U.S. market, which it touts as the first full aftermarket brake pad line for electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles (HV).
The TRW Electric Blue line features copper-free replacement pads that ZF claims reduce noise, vibration and dust emissions on carbon-reducing vehicles.
While EVs and HVs account for a small part of total U.S. vehicle sales, purchases of EVs and HVs increased 83% and 76%, respectively, in 2021, according to ZF.
"TRW Electric Blue meets the need for OE-quality replacement brake pads for this growing segment with 75 SKUs covering most EVs and HVs in the U.S.," ZF said.
Designed to match OE specifications to provide like-new braking, TRW Electric Blue's design achieves a noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) score of over 9/10 — exceeding the OE specification of 7/10, the company said.
The pads come with applicable hardware and have shim technology which follows OE configurations, including decoupling, textured, smooth/multilayered and double adhesive technologies for enhanced noise-dampening properties.
The brakes were named "Best New Hard Part" at AAPEX 2021 last fall.
"We are quickly evolving toward a more electrified future of mobility, and TRW is supporting that evolution with high-quality replacement parts for electric and hybrid vehicles," Mark Cali, head of independent aftermarket, USC at ZF Aftermarket, said.
"We are proud to make the full line available as we approach Earth Day, an occasion to reflect on the importance of environmental stewardship and to recommit to a sustainable future."
ZF Group said it has an ambitious climate strategy, with the objective of achieving climate neutrality across all emission categories by 2040. ZF said it plans to reduce production-related emissions by 80% by 2030, compared with 2019, and is working to reduce emissions along its entire supply chain and to minimize the environmental impact of its products.