Technical Paper
Exploring the Opportunity Space For High-Power Li-Ion Batteries in Next-Generation 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles
2017-03-28
2017-01-1197
48V battery packs, with rated power capabilities on the order of 8-16kW, are rapidly becoming a new standard in the automotive industry. Improving on their 12V counterparts (2-5kW), 48V Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEV) allow for extended start-stop and regenerative braking functionalities, providing fuel economy benefits of up to 10-15% in standard passenger vehicles. New and relatively unexplored opportunities exist to further increase the fuel economy and performance of 48V systems. Improvement in battery power (to ~25kW) would further enable hybridization to near-HEV levels as well as engine downsizing, thus paving the way to fuel economy improvements beyond the current 10-15% MHEV limit. Additionally, new electrified features may be added, such as electric turbo/supercharging, electric traction, electric power steering, electric suspension and electric air conditioning.
