Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecky
Off topic, but adopting a higher base voltage (24 or 48) would likely measurably improve non-hybrid vehicle efficiency. I understand why it isn't done, but at some point that bandaid may need to be ripped off.
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I can speak directly to that. The reason we aren't running 48V electrical systems is cost. Yes, engineering says 48V makes sense but the economy of scale on 12V systems is so large that you can't make up for the higher component price with efficiency.
We are slowly seeing the transition with the rise of mild hybrid systems but in that case you also get a big boost in efficiency to offset the extra cost. Eventually the product mix will change enough so that 48V is cheaper.