48-V Systems: A Sweet Spot for Traditional and Mild-Hybrid Vehicles (Download)

Log in to download the PDF of this article on how making the transition from 12 V to 48 V in automotive systems brings multiple benefits... and challenges.
Dec. 26, 2025

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For more than a decade, the automotive industry has anticipated a shift in low-voltage architectures. That future has now arrived. Across Europe — and particularly in Germany — 48-V power systems have moved from experimental curiosity to mainstream electrical architecture.

American, Korean, and Chinese OEMs are rapidly following, treating 48 V not as an optional subsystem, but as a fundamental inflection point comparable to the adoption of CAN bus, the transition to 800-V traction drives, and the migration from brushed machines to permanent-magnet BLDC technology.

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