ZF Group is rebranding its passive safety systems division as ZF Lifetec.

The change was part of the current legal separation of the division within the wider group.

In 2023, passive safety booked sales of EUR4.7bn.

ZF said Lifetec would "pursue a well-defined strategy to further increase sales and profitability as a stand alone business driven by megatrends in the automotive industry and increasingly stringent safety regulations".

"As a standalone brand, ZF Lifetec gains the strategic scope to further accelerate sales growth and profitability,” said ZF CEO Holger Klein.

“The carve out is progressing well and we continue to explore options to further develop [the brand] in the future.”

ZF began the "carve out" in October 2022.

The unit operates in 46 locations in 18 countries and claims a market share of 20% of worldwide sales of core products.

The product line covers inflatable restraint, steering wheel and seat belt systems supplying global OEMs.