ZF has developed a heated seat belt for electric vehicles. In combination with steering wheel and seat heating, the ZF Heat Belt is said to be able to significantly improve the range in winter.
ZF Heat Belt
ZF
With the Heat Belt, ZF has presented a new solution to reduce the energy-intensive heating of the entire interior of electric vehicles. The heatable seat belt is designed to quickly provide warmth close to the body and, in combination with steering wheel and seat heating, may increase range by up to 15 %. The Heat Belt is similar in design and operation to a conventional belt.
ZF uses a special textile processing method for the Heat Belt. In this process, the heating conductors are woven into the seat belt structure, which minimally increases the thickness of the webbing. The contact elements for the electrical heating circuits are positioned in such a way that they do not interfere with either the operation of the belt or retraction. This also eliminates the need for special belt retractors at other installation positions or separate qualifications for mounting.