48V Batteries Powering Advanced High-Power Vehicle Applications

Auto manufacturers are adding more electrical and electronics (E/E) content to cars. This trend is increasing power loads, leading to a shift in battery technology. While vehicle architectures have long relied on 12V batteries to enable non-powertrain applications, manufacturers are increasingly using 48V batteries to support electrified functionality such as safety, comfort, and infotainment systems. For now, this trend is additive: original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) use 12V and 48V batteries in tandem to enable low-power and higher-power, low-voltage systems. However, market trends and continued industry innovation will soon force a shift to 48V batteries alone.

48V batteries are the future

Around the world, regional, national, and state governments, such as the European Union, UK, France, and California, have announced strict emissions targets or banned the sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by specific dates. In addition, these governments are building out charging infrastructure to increase the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and providing tax or other incentives to consumers who purchase them. As a result, EV sales reached 14 million in 2023 globally, representing 18% of all cars sold. That growth will only increase as climate-related regulatory requirements take effect, manufacturers add more E/E content to EVs, and consumers adopt more hybrids and other EVs to take advantage of exciting new features. As a result, the 48V battery market, valued at $2.3B in 2021, is slated to grow to $27B by 2031.

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From a technological innovation and performance standpoint, 48V batteries have potential that is only beginning to be fully harnessed. With 48V batteries, manufacturers can draw more power with less current. 48V batteries provide a voltage range of 30-60V, which meets safety-extra low voltage requirements and distributes power with minimal copper loss.

Diagram of a 48V/12V battery system. Courtesy of TE Connectivity.

To increase fuel efficiency, developers can use 48V batteries to move mid-power applications, such as electric water pumps and compressors, out of the engine. They can also choose other loads to be powered by 48V batteries, such as brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire systems, and develop roadmaps for other systems to transition in the future.

For example, an OEM that replaces an alternator with an electric motor or generator and adds a 48V battery, e-charger, and regenerative brakes today can expect to increase electrical power to deliver 15% greater fuel efficiency while reducing heat loads and achieving between 25% and 50% more low-end torque for mild hybrids.

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Increasing battery power density also provides significant weight and space savings. 48V batteries and components, including wires, contacts, and connections, are smaller and lighter than their 12V equivalents. This enables OEMs to support more loads at a fraction of the weight of 12V batteries: freeing up space for other systems and enabling more efficient packaging. OEMs transitioning to 48V at scale will also reduce the copper needed for key systems, improving costs.

Component manufacturers play a pivotal role in the adoption of 48V batteries

Component manufacturers can aid in adopting 48V batteries by providing 48V-ready products, such as chips and connectors, which meet new technical requirements and deliver solutions in the required volumes to ensure product availability and support business growth.

During the product development phase, engineers need to consider the new challenges and requirements that arise as 48V batteries are added to car architectures, such as preventing power arcing and creeping from one circuit to another and ensuring safe handling. For instance, battery systems should provide safeguards, such as safe voltage switching, last-mate,  and first-break options, to prevent live disconnects that cause arcing. In addition, connector systems should have locking safeguards to prevent accidental un-mating.

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48/12 Volt vehicle applications. Courtesy of TE Connectivity.

Engineers often design innovative solutions from scratch to ensure connectors are spaced optimally to prevent arcing and provide sufficient creepage and clearance to meet industry specifications.

TE Connectivity is among the companies contributing to these developments, creating new products to support a complete shift to a 48-volt architecture with low, medium, and high-power capabilities. TE is also working to identify existing products in their portfolio that are ready at 48V in their current state. To achieve this, our engineers regularly collaborate with OEM partners to evaluate which applications should transition to 48V and develop a long-term technical roadmap to transition to 48V. By switching over individual systems one-by-one, component manufacturers and OEMs alike gain more experience with new battery technology, which helps ease a full transition down the road.

Overall, the shift to 48V is underway and not just for passenger cars. The truck and off-highway engineering industry, too, will see this change as vehicle architectures continue to advance. The key to success and quicker adoption is the collective effort and collaboration of both OEMs and suppliers to create solutions that maximize efficiency and minimize cost at the vehicle level.