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20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech

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48 Comments (https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems#disqus_thread)
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Many cars will soon have 48-volt electrical systems. They’ll power stop-start motors, hybrid motors,
and turbochargers, allowing for smaller engines with better fuel economy and performance. They’ll
handle accessories ranging from mechanical or hydraulic power to electric power such as power
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 1/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
steering, power brakes, water pump, radiator cooling, and air conditioning.

These will be combination 12- and 48-volt systems with 12 volts for traditional lighting and
infotainment, 48 volts for more power-hungry components. But don’t freak out: The 12-volt system
isn’t going away any time soon.

Bentley Bentayga has a 48-volt active anti-roll bar.

What 48 volts can do: low-cost mild hybrid


Bosch, Continental, Delphi, and Valeo are among the key components makers working to provide
48-volt systems to automakers.

Odds are your next car will have a start-stop system, probably 12 volts, and a slightly larger 12-volt
battery. When you come to a stop at the light, the car shuts down after a couple seconds. It fires
up again with a little hesitation, a couple tenths of a second, on some cars. At a light, the car feels
poky. It makes you nervous if you’re at a stop sign trying to get across the street with crossing
traffic getting closer. With 48-volt stop-start:

The starter is replaced with a beefier 48-volt device called a motor generator unit (MGU), belt
alternator starter, or belt-driven starter generator.
A 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack, typically in the trunk.
A DC-to-DC converter.

Effectively, you’ve got a mild hybrid powertrain, one that works in parallel with the combustion
engine. Backers say it provides two-thirds the benefit of a full hybrid at a third the cost. Fuel
economy increases by 15 to 20 percent.

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 2/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech

Audi Q8 Sport Concept with electric turbocharger.

What 48 volts can do: e-charger for faster acceleration


A four-cylinder car with a turbocharger has the performance
of a V6 without a turbo. But there’s lag here, too, those tenths
of a second while the turbo spools up to 100,000-200,000
rpm and forces more and more air into the engine. Virtually
every review describes turbo lag as “barely noticeable,”
which really means “noticeable” when you want to pass on a
two-lane road, or get over the railroad tracks when the signal
lights start blinking.

Enter the electric turbocharger / electric supercharger, or e-


charger. Rather than wait for exhaust gases to eventually
bring the impeller up to speed, an electric motor makes it
happen more quickly so that the lag is truly barely noticeable.
This, too, requires a 48-volt system.

Valeo electric supercharger.

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 3/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech

Schematic of the Audi SQ7 TDI (diesel) engine and electric supercharger.

Audi’s electric supercharger concept cars


Audi has electric supercharger in its Q8 Sport Concept vehicle. Earlier, it put one in the SQ7 TDI
(diesel, schematic above). A traditional turbocharger is driven by exhaust gas and a supercharger
is driven by an engine-powered belt; both force air under pressure into the car’s intake manifold.
Some automakers called their e-charger an electric turbocharger, others an electric supercharger.

BISG belt

12V battery
48v battery
inverter intake +BMS 48V junction
box
e-charger
flywheel

12V battery junction DC-DC converter


box

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 4/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech

Delphi hybrd system combining 48V e-charger and motor generator.

Delphi’s lower-cost hybrid system


Delphi is one of the automakers thinking about a
multi-component solution to delivering a lighter, more
efficient drivetrain. It starts by replacing the starter
motor with a 48-volt motor-generator that starts and
restarts the car, provides extra power beyond what
the combustion engine offers, and recharges the 48-
volt lithium-ion battery in the trunk. Delphi’s motor-
generator is the same size as a regular starter motor
(plus two cooling hoses; photo inset), so it can be
added to an existing car without having to move
Delphi motor/generator with cooling hoses.
other components such as the radiator.

A 48V e-charger is added to complement the car’s existing turbocharger. Finally, the engine is
modified for cylinder deactivation, which Delphi grandly calls Dynamic Skip Fire. At cruise on level
roads, a car with Dynamic Skip Fire might fire, on average, only one and a quarter cylinders per
revolution.

Delphi 48-volt VW Passat at CES 2017.

More mpg for China, more horsepower for the US


I drove a Delphi prototype car at the 2017 CES show in January. Even with the e-charger not yet
activated, the test Volkswagen Passat was quick in city driving. Best of all, it started up
immediately from stops with zero hesitation.

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 5/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
Mary Gustanski, Delphi vice president of engineering and program management, said the
prototype’s purpose is to show automakers what can be done, affordably. In the US, buyers are
looking for more horsepower as well as economy. In the booming Chinese market, it’s fuel
economy. In Europe, it’s a mix of fuel economy and reduced emissions. For diesel engines,
automakers can trade off some of the savings in CO2 (essentially fuel economy) for a reduction in
NOx; urea injection may still be necessary to clean up the exhaust, but in smaller amounts.

Total cost of a system including the e-charger? “For $1,500, you’re looking at a 20 percent
improvement in fuel economy,” Gustanski says. Twenty percent better fuel economy puts a lot of
otherwise traditional combustion-engine cars into the territory of full hybrids such as the Toyota
Prius that can drive 1-2 miles on battery alone.

48-volt components in trunk of Delphi/VW concept car.

Why 48 volts? Didn’t 42 volts flop a decade ago?


This is the second go-round for 48-volt systems. Circa 2000, there was a proposal for 42-volt
systems, which is effectively the same as 48 volts. (What matters is that peak power flow never hit
60 volts DC, which is the point where more heavily shielded wire is required.) It fizzled out over
concerns about the cost of dual systems, as well as practical matters such as switch contacts
arcing, requiring costlier spring-loaded switches to reduce wear.

Between then and now, there is more concern about the environment, and more car components
have gone electrical. Cars with lane keep assist (https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/165320-
what-is-lane-departure-warning-and-how-does-it-work) and lane centering assist, and self-driving
cars shortly, need electric not hydraulic power assist.

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 6/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
At the high end, the $230,000 Bentley Bentayga SUV has added a 48-volt active anti-roll bar.
Mechanical anti-roll bars reduce the car’s lean in a turn. This one reduces roll further, so
passengers feel less discomfort when the driver takes a curve at high speed.

Air conditioning is more efficient with an electric motor instead of a driven belt, because the AC
compressor is off more than it’s on when the AC is turned on. Also, it can cycle on even when the
combustion engine is is stop-start mode.

Even as cars demand more power, 48 volts may allow


for lighter wiring harnesses. A wire of a given size
can carry four times as much power at 48 volts as a
12-volt system. In a DC system, power (watts) equals
the volts times the amps. A 12-volt wire controlled
(limited) by a 15-amp fuse could carry 180 watts. Step
the power to 48 volts and the same wire could carry
720 watts.

In the late-1990s era attempting 42 volt systems, the


focus was on delivering more power to the vehicle.
Now, says Jason Schwanke, senior systems engineer
at Bosch, “The main focus is improving the emissions
Delphi / A123 Systems 48V LiIon battery.
and fuel economy of the vehicle. 48-volt is a system
to augment the combustion engine, reduce fuel consumption, reduce [diesel] particulate
emissions, and improve the driver experience by increasing the responsiveness of the vehicle.”

Schwanke envisions a second iteration of cars that go beyond a smallish belt-drive motor
generator. Rather than 2 kilowatts, it could be 10, 15, or 20 kilowatts. “Decouple the combustion
system [from the motor generator],” he says, “you can do some advanced features you can’t do
from a belt system … things like going through a parking lot [on electric power] or low-speed urban
driving.” In other words, while 48 volts is a step up from 12 volts, it’s also a step down in cost from
300-volt-plus systems in traditional hybrids.

Now read: Best Cars of the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show


(https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247969-top-cars-shanghai-auto-show)

Check out our ExtremeTech Explains (http://www.extremetech.com/tag/extremetech-explains)


series for more in-depth coverage of today’s hottest tech topics.

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Tagged In
cars (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/cars) automobiles (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/automobiles)
autos (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/autos)
extremetech explains (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/extremetech-explains)
hybrids (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/hybrids)
diesel engines (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/diesel-engines)
air pollution (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/air-pollution)
CES 2017 (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/ces-2017) Bosch (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/bosch)
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 9/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
Delphi (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/delphi) future cars (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/future-cars)
Continental (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/continental)
VW Passat (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/vw-passat)
Bentley Bentayga (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/bentley-bentayga)
42 volts (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/42-volts)
e-chargers (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/e-chargers)
electric drive (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/electric-drive)
A123 (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/a123) 48V (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/48v)
48 volts (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/48-volts)
Jason Schwanke (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/jason-schwanke)
Mary Gustanski (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/mary-gustanski)
Valeo (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/valeo) 12 volts (https://www.extremetech.com/tag/12-volts)

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Javier Martinez • 2 years ago


I like this a lot. It just goes to show how innovation can yield better efficiencies that reduce
environmental impact with the same or better performance. I'd love to go out and buy that
$1,500 fuel economy upgrade. Even better if I can flip a switch and turn it into a performance
upgrade. Don't judge me, I have feelings too :)
5△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Greigio76 • 2 years ago


My rental car has that start stop feature. Hated it. It never stalled, but it feels like it at the traffic
lights.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

wbgreene333 > Greigio76 • 2 years ago


Takes some getting used to, I've had a Honda Civic Hybrid since 2006, when I drive a
"normal" car I think something is wrong because it didn't shut off when I stop at a light :)
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

trackdaze > Greigio76 • a year ago


These systems get rid of the hesitation.

The torque of the electric motor is instantaneous an gets you off the line which is when
the combustion engine gets going.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jesper Monsted > Greigio76 • 8 months ago


Daily driving a PHEV, i always have to wonder where all of the torque has disappeared
t h idi ICE N t (t ) ill f l lik b t
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 'll i kl t d10/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
to when i drive an ICE. No two car (types) will feel alike, but you'll very quickly get used
to it when you switch.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Damon Hill • 2 years ago


As an electronics technician and occasional shade-tree mechanic, I find this new complexity
both fascinating and concerning. It had all be very reliable indeed, because the cost of
replacement parts is going to be through the roof, as if they already aren't! I hope too that
some sort of diagnostics will be built into the system to keep track of potentially degrading
performance and actual failures, because figuring out what went wrong where is just about
going to require an engineering degree.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Justanotherokie • 2 years ago


It seems some kind of slipper clutch would work equally well without an additional motor. I
guess if you already have 48volts you had best make it pay off.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Mel Gross • 2 years ago


The writer has a misunderstanding of what electrical power is. The wire at 48 colts can carry 4
times as much power as a 12 volt system. So yes, that's true. But power is measured in watts,
not amps. The wire can carry the same amount of amperage, but 4 times the wattage. Watts
are amps times volts.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jeremy Garcia > Mel Gross • 2 years ago


But power is measured in watts, not amps... Watts are amps times volts

Therefore, increasing the voltage at the same amperage increases power. The writer
also pointed that out. And multiplication is commutative - you're arguing semantics, not
pointing out a fundamental misunderstanding of power. Power = Voltage x Amperage,
therefore an increase in either voltage or amperage increases power. And since wires
aren't a storage medium, saying wires can carry a certain amount of wattage isn't
technically correct. Wires are a transportation medium, so knowing the flow (amperage)
and potential (voltage) are more important when talking about wires.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Mel Gross > Jeremy Garcia • 2 years ago


Wording is very important guys. If it's worded wrongly, then people have a
misunderstanding of the meaning. Therefore, when a sentence is worded
wrongly, either the writer doesn't understand what they wrote, or didn't review it.

Since there seems to be a lack of copy editors (and fact checkers) these days,
errors need to be pointed out when found.

Thankfully, Bill has corrected the wording to properly reflect the situation. Most
authors just ignore comments, or don't bother to read them at all, so kudos is
earned here.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 11/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech

Bill Howard > Mel Gross • 2 years ago


Good eyes. You must be referring to back-to-back sentences that said "power (amps)"
and power (watts)." So if there was a misunderstanding, mea culpa, and it lasted one
sentence. The first reference wasn't supposed to be there, and it isn't now. - Bill
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

ja_1410 • 2 years ago


There is just one concern. The 12 V and in some trucks 24 V systems were also chosen in the
past because in many countries 24 V was considered as a limit voltage above which it
becomes dangerous for electrocution. I don;t know the details and I'm not a specialist in this
area but I read about it in some article years ago.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

compujas > ja_1410 • 2 years ago


To my knowledge electrocution has more to do with amperage than voltage. A typical
static shock in your house can be tens of thousands of volts, but such low amperage
that it's harmless.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Darrell Anthony > compujas • 2 years ago


Skin when it is dry usually will not conduct electricity below 60 volts. Could be
another reason they chose not to go over 48 volts. However wet skin conducts
easily, especially when you are sweaty because of salt in your sweat. High
voltage low current shocks like old tv tubes days - may or may not kill you
depending on the available power in the circuit and whether the current travels
through your heart. Most high voltage shocks these days will come from high
power circuits.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

ja_1410 > compujas • 2 years ago


Car battery can easily deliver hundreds of amperes. The starter motor can use
up to ~300 A in a average car. They have very small internal resistance and
capacity to deliver large amount of current. That is why voltage is critical.
Human body has certain resistance and with higher voltage will allow for higher
amperage. That is why 24 V battery was considered safe and some voltage
above it is considered dangerous. I think also time of exposure is very critical.
Static electricity has very short exposure time so total amount of charge that
flows through the body is relatively small. With car battery you need to take
account accidents when person might be immobilized in accident and exposed
to live wire. In such setup voltage will be critical between life and death. Tesla or
even Volt can easily kill you or firefighter who is trying to get you our of the
wreck. That is why those cars usually have secondary 12 V system to run most
of the car especially around the passenger cabin and high voltage is only used
in the chassis for motion. Firefighters are currently trained in many jurisdictions
how to handle such wrecks.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

AlCarn > compujas • 2 years ago


Ohms Law. Your body's the resistor. The higher the voltage, the more current it
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 12/20
20/11/2018 y Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems
Why Cars Are g g ,
- ExtremeTech

can drive through the resistor (your body). It only takes 100 mA of current to kill
you and even a flashlight battery is capable of supplying that much current.
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Jen Brown > AlCarn • 2 years ago


Last time I checked, I was 35,000 ohms impedance.
I can touch both posts of a car battery - nothing.
But drop a damn wrench on those ONE time ....
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

kevin mccune > Jen Brown • 9 months ago


Get sweaty and wet your hands , you will notice a difference.
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RT > compujas • 2 years ago


The old saying is "voltage hurts, amps kill". That's why a 500,000 volt stun gun
hurts like hell but doesn't end your life. Not enough current (amperage).
I've been shocked quiet a few times in my life. Everything from batteries up to
480 VAC. I can tell you from personal experience that 480 VAC packed a punch
but it had nothing on the shock I once received from a 12VDC car battery. It was
raining, I was attempting to jump start a car that had just been in an accident. I
can't say for sure what happened but at some point while making the connection
I took an unbelievable hit. It literally knocked me back several feet and
staggered me. I think I was actually "out on my feet" as they say in boxing. I
even had problems thinking straight for 10 or 15 minutes. The next day every
muscle in my body was still sore. Higher voltage like 240/480 can do things like
arc, burn you or even blow the fillings out of your teeth (my dad) but you walk
away fine because of the limited amperage (circuit breakers). But a 12V car
battery with 800 cold cranking amps, under the right conditions (ie. wet/low
resistance) can knock you completely senseless.
Voltage hurts, amps kill. Absolutely true.
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Marc Jackson > RT • 2 years ago


You got hit by spark plug high tension voltage likely due to the accident
damage. That's 10s of thousands volts
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kevin mccune > Marc Jackson • 9 months ago


I think He was right ,I can get at least a tingle out of a 12V battery.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Marc Jackson > kevin mccune • 9 months ago


Modern LED lighting typically uses 10 leds in series so will require 22
volts to light up. Fuel Injectors require over 60 volts to fire. Using 48 volts
allows replacement of the alternator and starter with an integrated starter
generator
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 13/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
Nikolaos Skordilis > compujas • 2 years ago
Electrocution depends on both amperage and voltage. When you raise the volts
x4, assuming an equal cable resistance, you raise the watts x4 as well. If you
raise the volts x4 and decrease the current by x4 as well, the net watts -and
thus the power that will flow through your body- remain the same. Conversely, if
you raise the amperage x4 and drop the volts by x4, you end up with the same
power.

A static shock is harmless (unless you are handling fuel) because despite the
thousands of volts the current is a few microamperes worth. A hypothetical
(because, as far as I know that is probably impossible) inverse situation with
thousands of amperes and microvolts would also be harmless.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill Howard > ja_1410 • 2 years ago


For automotive purposes, 60 volts is the dividing line between where you have wires
and very carefully routed wires that can't be rubbed bare. A 42- or 48-volt system might
get to the low 50s but won't hit 60V.
There's a limit to what could fit in this story but there are some issues with having, say,
48-volt window lifts. Without careful design, there'd be arcing when you make and
break the contact. We don't have quite the problem with AC in the house because AC
is a sine wave of varying voltage that averages out to 120.
There is a very good article by my friend Mike Allen in Popular Mechanics dating to
1999, on why 42V (and by extension 48V) is dead and buried. Mike had some excellent
points, but times change, and most of the problems have been overcome, or at least
minimized. What we couldn't foresee back then was how 48V could give us mild
hybrids (using motor generators) where 48V is not a step up from 12V but a step down
from 300-plus volts. http://www.popularmechanics...
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doug johnson • 2 years ago


So how many volts before you start feeling it through your skin? Pain free wire splicing has
always been a nice bonus for 12-volt cars...in spite of ever TV show using car batteries to
torture people, lol.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Lorfa > doug johnson • 2 years ago


Try this vid: https://www.youtube.com/wat...
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Chris Roberts > doug johnson • 2 years ago


I picked up a rheostat connected to a 60v DC lab supply once, it didn't do any lasting
harm, but it hurt and I couldn't let go until I cut the power.
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kevin mccune > doug johnson • 9 months ago


Hook them to your nipples and see what happens, when you get the current flowing it
has an effect . I was fooling with an electro magnetic switch one day and got quite a
shock .
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 14/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Dave • 2 years ago


Just buy a Tesla Model 3 EV. None of this complicated maintenance...no new fangled drive
systems...etc...Simplicity...not complication is the way to go. An EV has no gas/diesel/oil
changes/fluids (coolant, transmission, etc)...basically close to zero maintenance...tires and
windshield wipers. And the Model 3 can be charged in less than 20 min on the road. 215 mile
range. Auto pilot. There's a reason why 400,000 people waited in line to put $1k deposits on
one. Production starts this July.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Nikolaos Skordilis > Dave • 2 years ago


I am a bit skeptical about the lack of transmission fluids. Did they make even that fully
electric? With no gearbox either?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

technerdx6000 > Nikolaos Skordilis • 2 years ago


Single speed reduction gearbox. It has transmission fluid, but only needs
replacing every 15 years.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

realDonaldTrump • 2 years ago


This article describes the new already available Prius Prime Advanced to a tee.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

RT • 2 years ago
Good article. I just wanted to take issue with one particular line.
"Air conditioning is more efficient with an electric motor instead of a driven belt, because the
AC compressor is off more than it’s on when the AC is turned on. "

The thing is A/C compressors on cars have an electronic clutch. When the compressor cycles
off the clutch disengages the drive belt from the compressor. It's essentially just a free spinning
pulley at that point and with no load being placed on the engine and no real impact on
efficiency. The clutch already does the exact same thing that you're saying an electronic motor
would accomplish - it cycles the compressor off even when the AC is on.

You might get some efficiency increases due to the fact that an electric motor converts
electrical energy into motion more efficiently than an internal combustion engine converts fuel
energy into motion. But then again, that electrical energy for the electric motor is coming from
a battery that's charged by an internal combustion engine powered by fuel. And most often
through a belt driven alternator....
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill Howard > RT • 2 years ago


You're right. A clutch to take the AC offline improves efficiency, which is possible with a
belt-driven AC also. Once the combustion engine is offline (stop light, traffic jam), then
the electrically driven air conditioner conditioner has the advantage because it doesn't
require the engine.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

k i > RT 9 th
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 15/20
20/11/2018 Why Cars Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
kevin mccune > RT • 9 months ago
You could completey seal the system however and it might last the life of the car
trouble free.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

gamerk2 • 2 years ago


"or get over the railroad tracks when the signal lights start blinking."

No, just no. Seriously, why encourage this?


4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jefferson Allan > gamerk2 • 2 years ago


Only if you don't have enough room to stop.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill Howard > gamerk2 • 2 years ago


We are concerned about Darwin not having enough opportunity these days to help cull
the herd.

It would help also to post this sign in more places:


https://c1.staticflickr.com...
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

ZanyZapper > gamerk2 • 2 years ago


I assumed that meant the signal lights start blinking after you already started crossing -
not that you were trying to beat the train by crossing after the lights were already on.
There's a double track near me and believe me, I don't mess around with trains. But
this has happened to me several times. Scares the crap out of me every time it
happens.Heck, the lights coming on after I just finished crossing makes me think "that
was close!"
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

sola • 2 years ago


I see this as good transitional technology if combined with a gas engine since it puts fuel
efficiency close to diesels but way-way cleaner. As for diesels themselves, I would ban them
immediately, they will not be clean enough even with these kinds of 48V systems.

However, I wouldn't buy even an improved gas car at this point if there is an acceptable full-
electric car in the segment you are shopping in. For long-range affordable EVs, the Bolt is
already here, Tesla M3 is here soon, Nissan Leaf V2 is likely on its way too, plus all of the
majors are scrambling to put their EVs on the market. There are many shorter-range EVs
already on the market Leaf v1, BMW i3, eGolf...etc which are perfectly fine for commuting and
regular in-city duties (In smaller countries like many in the EU they are good for many inter-city
tasks too).

Full-electrics have drastically lower maintenance costs, way-superior full-cycle environmental


performance and their price is already palatable (and battery costs are coming down 20% a
year according to industry reports)
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bill Howard > sola • 2 years ago


https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 16/20
20/11/2018 Bill Howard sola 2Why Cars
years Are Moving to 48-Volt Electrical Systems - ExtremeTech
ago

Interesting to see the reaction to the Honda Clarity EV. Range is 80 miles, the grabber
is that it's an Accord size vehicle, most others are smaller. Honda engineers say to
buyers, "We know you don't drive that many miles, so why pay more and drag around
an extra 400 pounds of batteries you don't need?" It may be a case where Honda's
people are right, but the customer says he or she wants something that goes 250
miles. If so, tough times for Honda.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

kevin mccune > sola • 9 months ago


There is supposedly a system coming on the market that uses a high torque under
motor generator( will add 150# ft torque to the drive line)with the battery pack and
regen braking it should be a good upgrade for a fuel guzzling pickup, that needs torque
and economy. It will really boost the mileage on a short run and is plug in capable.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Marc Jackson • 2 years ago


I believe where 48 volt hybrid is really valuable is in motorcycles. They are lighter and with the
MGU you can downsize the IC engine replacing the starter and alternator with a MGU. The 48
volt battery pack provides ideal for led lighting etc. Torque assistance of 20-60 nm enough to
spin tyres to a high speed, provides that instant acceleration we want.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Chief • 2 years ago


If Enron Muck and Barry can convince everyone into hugging dead polar bears, why not the
rest of the auto industry - Obama was so busy with trying to bankrupt America with his Paris
Climate scam, paying Iran's Ayatollah billions, the enterprising Germans blew a hole in his
EPA that one could drive a Mack truck through
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

monstercolorfun co • a year ago


48v can provide a few thousand watts without requiring massive cables due to heat think 12v
cables = very hot... tesla etc are at least 96-182 kindof range.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

James • a year ago


More and more complexity added to the combustion engine that will still emit CO2. Call it a day
and go for the simplicity of electric drive and be done with it
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

gregsfc • a year ago


I've got two vehicles, both have auto start stop. One of each type. I've got a 2007 Saturn Aura
Hybrid with the more elaborate 36 volt nickel cadmium batteries and starter generator mild
hybrid. Price premium was $800. Ten years, four months, not a single glitch, original batteries.
Works seamlessly. Restarts quicker than I can even think about it. Horror stories assumed
here are unfounded. That's the good news...The bad news is that this 4 cylinder, under
torqued car gets less than 30 mpg u.s. and resale value is sh**. I've got a 2015 F150 small
turbo V6 with the beefier battery and starter type start-stop. No glitches in two years, but
starter turns and engine cranks upon restart. Takes just half a second for power steering to
come back. Can be a little unnerving at a light turning left but can be turned off. This truck is
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/247889-cars-moving-48-volt-electrical-systems 17/20
20/11/2018 g Moving to
Why Cars Are g 48-Volt Electrical
g Systems - ExtremeTech

amazing though. At least 20 mpg city and 26 highway, which is about 5 more than a typical
2WD modern full size truck and 375 ft-lbs peak torque and very quick. Again, these horror
stories are unfounded regarding assumed concerns with start-stop systems of either type.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

kevin mccune > gregsfc • 9 months ago


Some people cant stand change , they would rather have a torquey carbon spewing
diesel , so they can be noticed and be annoying .
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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