2014/06/30 48V Architectures: New Emissions and Fuel Economy Mandates Reawaken Interest

But Deployment Will Be Long Term, With Annual Demand Reaching Up To 2.7M Units By 2020

Boston, MA - June 23, 2014 – A group of German auto makers had earlier agreed to develop a standard for 48V architectures to support efforts in raising fuel economy and lowering harmful emissions at the 2011 Automobil Elektronik Kongress in Ludwigsburg, Germany.  Changing circumstances since then have confirmed that 48V deployments will begin next year, as mentioned in the recent Strategy Analytics report, 48 Volt Architectures: Not A Question Of 'If', But Of 'How' and 'When'.

New, more stringent mandates have been legislated or are being proposed, such as the new CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) level set in the United States at 54.5 mpg by 2025 and the European Union’s aim to lower carbon dioxide emissions to a level at 68-78 g/km by 2025.  Furthermore, a new test procedure (WLTP (Worldwide-harmonized Light-vehicles Test Procedure) will soon replace existing less realistic and less stringent test cycles.

The growing threat of tougher mandate requirements, allied with recent developments aimed at making mild hybridized powertrains to be more cost effective and more desirable to consumers, have resulted in a widening of interest for 48V architectures – not just globally, but also extending to the high volume, compact model segments.  More power can be recuperated when braking with a 48V mild hybrid powertrain than from an existing 12V stop-start system.