ZF Friedrichshafen, a Germany-based car parts maker that supplies systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, and a subsidiary of Zeppelin-Stiftung, has announced that it plans to invest $140m (€128.54m) to open a new ‘Energy Vehicle eDrive Plant’ in Shenyang, China. The new plant will manufacture electric axle drives and create 900 jobs.

When announcing the deal, Stephan von Schuckmann, a member of the management at the ZF Group, said: “The ground-breaking for the new project demonstrates ZF’s ongoing investments and innovation in China, and we are determined to work with partners across the industry to promote the development of new energy vehicles and to achieve carbon neutrality.

“With rapid growth of the global and Chinese electric vehicle market in the next decade, ZF will continue to play an essential role in driving the auto industry’s electrification transformation with its expertise and extensive product portfolio.”

ZF Asia Pacific is headquartered in Shanghai, but the new plant in based in Shenyang in north-east China. The city has a population of about nine million, although the Greater Shenyang Metropolitan Area has approximately 23 million residents. Shenyang is considered one of the most important industrial centres in China, and a key transportation and commercial hub in China’s north-east.