48 volts to every car!

The design of modern cars is becoming more and more complicated with each passing year. High-tech solutions used in automobile manufacture are associated with the increasing requirements for efficiency, safety, comfort, and environmental compliance. 

Yet today the presence of a large number of electric power consumers in cars creates rough conditions for a 12-volt electrical system. It’s a common fact that the power of the electric network is directly proportional to the voltage created in the network. To increase the output power of the alternator and battery, it is necessary to increase the mains voltage. Today such a voltage has been found and 48 volts have been recognized as the optimal voltage for hybrid cars by the car manufacturers. According to estimates, as soon as in 2025, this technology will be widely used in cars of the new generation. 

Advantages and benefits of a 48-volt electric system.

Mechanical and hydraulic boosting turbines, water pumps, brake boosters, power steering, and air conditioning systems - all of them are likely to be electrically powered soon. Simple integrated electric boards can be used to control the electrical systems in cars. The efficiency and operating speed of such cars will be much higher. 

Another reason is that there will be fewer components such as drive belts and technical (operating) fluids which are exposed to rapid wear and deterioration and are heavily dependent on the environmental conditions. Replacing batteries and alternators in new-generation cars with 12-volt systems alone makes no economic sense. It is necessary to add a new and more powerful network to the 12V engine and battery. It will make it possible to install a 48V motor-generator that will be helping the IC engine during driving and accumulating (recovering) energy during braking. This way, most cars will become hybrid. Such 48-volt systems will be installed in cars – a procedure that won’t require large expenditures from the manufacturers. It should be noted once again that in this case, 12-volt systems used in IC engines and batteries will not disappear, they will continue to perform their functions for the following power sources: ignition, ECU, lighting, etc.

MSG Equipment is in step with the times and constantly monitors the automotive market. New technologies used in modern cars will need to be diagnosed over time. That is why MSG Equipment is actively involved in the development of diagnostic equipment for modern cars. 

For example, we are currently working on the design of a new multifunctional diagnostic bench - MS005. The bench is intended for diagnostics of automotive alternators and starters with a nominal voltage of 12, 24, and 48 volts. The device will work with the most advanced protocols of "communication" between the car systems and the electronic control unit.