ZF demonstrated a software-defined commercial vehicle that connects directly to yard infrastructure, letting operators control safety functions such as the parking brake from outside the cab. Shown this week at ZF’s CV Tech Day 2026 near Hanover, the proof of concept uses a service-oriented architecture, middleware, and standardized vehicle application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connectivity. ZF describes the work as early-stage development aimed at preparing its core chassis systems for the software-defined commercial vehicle (SdCV).
Highlights
- Vehicle-to-infrastructure link: Middleware-based connectivity lets yard systems and operators interact with vehicle functions, including remote control of the parking brake and digital “wheel chocks.”
- Automatic configuration: Entering the yard triggers an autoconfiguration process that connects the truck to the local environment and enables the relevant functions.
- Worker safety: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) person detection triggers an automatic stop, with BLE wearables supporting emergency-stop functions during loading.
- Architecture: A service-oriented architecture with standardized vehicle APIs runs on a prototype high-performance computing (HPC) domain controller, alongside the production Electronic Brake System (EBS) and a future mBSP XBS braking system.
From Signal-Based to Service-Oriented Architecture
ZF is moving vehicle software from signal-based control toward service-oriented architectures in which functions become scalable, updateable services accessed independently of the underlying hardware. In this model, existing hardware can deliver new functionality through software alone. The demonstrator runs middleware and standardized vehicle APIs that expose chassis functions — including braking and the parking brake — as services other systems can call on demand.
Smarter, Safer Yard Operations
Yards are difficult environments: tight spaces, mixed traffic of trucks, pedestrians and forklifts, frequent stop-and-go movement, and limited visibility, all compounded by driver shortages. In the walkthrough, the truck triggers an autoconfiguration process on entering the yard, automatically connecting to the local environment. It then performs a low-speed docking maneuver at a loading ramp using sensor- and camera-based positioning. Through middleware-based connectivity, yard personnel can operate safety functions — the parking brake and digital wheel chocks — remotely from outside the vehicle, while BLE-based person detection triggers an automatic stop during loading.
A Powertrain-Independent Path to the Software-Defined Vehicle
ZF presents the vehicle as a serial-production truck already carrying ZF technologies used across multiple OEMs, combined with early proof-of-concept additions: the service-oriented software architecture, an SdV Driver Terminal app, BLE emergency stop, and the digital wheel chock. The company frames the work as part of its software-defined vehicle strategy and its role as a system integrator independent of powertrain, extending V2I connectivity to use cases beyond highway driving.
“Software and connected system intelligence are becoming the key ingredients to unlock next-level potentials of commercial vehicles,” said Ivan Brajdic, Head of R&D at ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions division.
Thomas Dieckmann, ZF’s Technology & Innovation Officer, added: “The vehicle demonstrates a shift to a service-oriented architecture with middleware and standardized vehicle APIs, enabling scalable Vehicle-to-Infrastructure integration and preparing the platform for Software-Defined Commercial Vehicles.”
ZF presented the work as a proof of concept in early development and said it will preview the technologies at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hannover, September 15–20, 2026.
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