Bridging the power gap with 48 volts

New 48-V technologies are poised to arrive in volume to help meet CO₂ regulations and satisfy the “vampire” power demands of new electrical subsystems and accessories.

The hybrid Lincoln MKZ I'm driving feels like it's floating on air as we hustle down Michigan's I-75, the combustion engine having been shut off by a clever bit of electrification. On this long, flat stretch of highway the ICE is just along for the ride, not “turning and burning” as the aircraft guys like to say. There's an EV-like quality to this operating mode and it has clearly boosted this car's feeling of overall refinement during my brief test drive.

“We're in ‘sailing mode’-pretty nice for steady-state operation, huh?” asks Dr. Matti Vint, director-engineering R&D at Valeo North America, as he looks up from behind a laptop in the passenger seat. Vint has been demonstrating this 48-volt-equipped Lincoln to interested OEMs all week. “Very cool indeed,” I reply, or something to that effect.