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C h a p t e r 1 THE 48V SHIFT—POWERING MORE WITH LESS The move from 12V to 48V electrical architectures is one of the most significant changes in modern vehicle design. While not as high profile as the transition to fully electric powertrains, the shift to 48V systems addresses a more immediate challenge of how to meet increasing onboard power demands without incurring the cost, weight, and safety implications of high-voltage systems. Today's vehicles, regardless of whether they are internal combustion engine or fully electric, feature a growing number of electrified subsystems. Power steering, air conditioning compressors, turbochargers, suspensions, and even braking systems are being converted from mechanically or hydraulically driven systems to electric modules. These changes improve energy efficiency and enable software-defined control, but they also place substantial demand on the vehicle's power distribution network. As a result, the 12V system, the longtime standard in automotive electrical design, is becoming a bottleneck. To deliver more energy without massive current increases, engineers are quadrupling the voltage instead. At 48V, the same amount of power can be transmitted with one-quarter of the current, allowing for thinner cabling, lower resistive losses, and reduced copper usage—all of which translate into weight savings and lower cost. Rami Saaidi Research and Development Hardware Engineer, Valeo The automotive industry is adopting 48V architectures to balance increased power demands with efficiency requirements, creating a middle ground between conventional 12V systems and full hybrid powertrains." 6 Powering the New Automotive Era with Smart Passive Solutions