Tag Archives: ZF Lifetec

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The Heated Seatbelt: ZF’s Clever Way to Warm You Up and Save EV Range

Automakers have long known that comfort sells. Heated seats, steering wheels, and even armrests are often the small luxuries that tip buyers toward a higher trim level. But ZF—the German supplier best known for transmissions and safety systems—thinks it’s time to rethink cabin heating. Their latest idea? Heated seatbelts.

At first glance, the concept sounds like something dreamed up for a Scandinavian design fair. Heated seats have been standard equipment in northern Europe for years, and with the rise of EVs, heated rear seats (often just the outboard positions) have crept into mainstream spec sheets. But ZF’s engineers point out a problem: these systems are energy-hungry. Keeping cushions warm pulls valuable juice from the battery, hurting efficiency and range.

ZF Lifetec’s heated seatbelt system takes a different approach. Instead of warming the whole seat, it focuses heat where it matters most: your upper body. Inside the belt’s slim 1.3-millimeter webbing, four hair-thin heating cables run across the lap and chest area. Powered to a maximum of 60 watts, the belt reaches 104°F (40°C) in under two minutes.

Smarts are baked in, too. Using an algorithm that considers cabin climate-control data, solar load, exterior and interior temperatures, and even skin temperature, the belt automatically dials in the right amount of warmth. The driver doesn’t have to push a button—just buckle up and let it do its thing.

For EVs, the implications are big. Heating the cabin is one of the biggest energy drains in cold weather, especially on short trips where the HVAC has to blast away just to warm the air. ZF says its system can reduce the need for conventional cabin heating by up to 1000 watts during the critical warm-up phase. The result? As much as a six-percent increase in driving range.

In other words, this isn’t just a clever gimmick—it could be a meaningful efficiency play. A seatbelt that keeps you cozy, reduces HVAC load, and stretches your EV’s miles? That’s the kind of option customers may not even realize they want until they try it.

It’s still unclear when we’ll see heated seatbelts in production cars, but given how quickly features like heated rear seats spread, don’t be surprised if this shows up in your next luxury EV—or even a mid-range crossover. After all, automakers love options that are equal parts comfort, safety, and profit. And in a world where every mile of range counts, the humble seatbelt might just become the hottest new feature.

Source: ZF Lifetec

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ZF Lifetec developed an airbag for the foot

Car airbags were first developed in the early 1950s, with the first patent filed by John W. Hetrick in 1953. They became commercially available in the 1970s and were widely adopted in the 1980s and 1990s. Modern vehicles can have up to 10 or more airbags, including front, side, curtain, knee, and rear airbags, depending on the model and safety features. The German company ZF Lifetec introduced the Active Heel Airbag, an air bag for the foot.

A large part of the impact energy is transmitted through the femur, the strongest bone in the human body. However, tests have shown that when the seat is tilted backwards, the distance between the heel and the support increases and the connection with the floor is no longer optimal, requiring an additional point of support for the heel.

The Active Heel Airbag reduces the risk of foot injury by allowing the knee to hit the air bag at an optimal angle, maximizing its protective function. In the normal seating position, the vehicle floor provides sufficient support for the feet of the driver and front passenger, ensuring a stable support point for the heels and a controlled knee path. However, tests have shown that when the seat is tilted back, the resistance to the feet increases, so additional support is needed.

The Active Heel Airbag is integrated directly into the footwell and in the event of a collision, the airbag inflates under the floor mat. The system can be adapted to almost any car model and will be available to car manufacturers from 2028.

Source: ZF Lifetec