48V IS COMING, and not just for EVs

While electric powertrains are driving 48V adoption, OEMs are realizing that xEV and ICE vehicles can benefit from a shift away from 12-volt architectures.

In every corner of the automotive power engineering world, there are discussions and debates over the merits of 48V power networks vs. legacy 12V power networks. The dialogue started over 20 years ago, but now the tone is more serious. It's not a case of everything old is new again, but the result of a growing appetite for more electrical power in vehicles. Today's vehicles - and the coming generations - require more power for their ADAS and other safety systems, infotainment systems and overall passenger comfort systems. To satisfy the growing demand for low-voltage power, it is necessary to boost the capacity of the low-voltage power network by two or three times that of the late 20th century. Delivering power is more efficient at a higher voltage, and today, 48V is the consensus voltage for that higher level.