Is the powerful and fuel-efficient 48V mild hybrid technology so attractive?

As emission regulations become increasingly stringent, more and more brands are launching smaller-displacement models, and major brands have also stated that the countdown to the discontinuation of their fuel-powered models has begun. my country has pledged that by 2030, carbon dioxide emissions will no longer grow, and will gradually decrease after reaching a peak, referred to as carbon peak. In this environment, new energy vehicle models have ushered in a peak period of development, and new energy brands have also posted sales performance reports at the beginning of the year. So, is there no way out for fuel vehicles except to reduce displacement? In fact, the 48V mild hybrid system is a good solution. More and more models are equipped with this system. Overall, this configuration can not only reduce fuel consumption, but also make up for the lack of power of the vehicle under acceleration. What are the advantages and disadvantages of 48V mild hybrid technology? What changes has it brought to consumers?

What is a 48V mild hybrid system?

Ordinary fuel vehicles use 12V batteries to support the power supply of the entire vehicle's electrical appliances. However, with the improvement of automobile product strength, there are more and more electronic devices in the car, especially for some luxury models, relying solely on the 12V power system is no longer enough. If equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system, this problem can be easily solved.

There are two main layouts currently used, namely BSG motor (belt-driven generator) and ISG motor (integrated intelligent starter drive generator). The difference between the two is that the BSG motor can effectively improve the engine's working efficiency, while the ISG motor mainly helps the engine start and stop.

The current mainstream technical solution is BSG, which is to add a 48V hybrid system on the basis of the original 12V system. This system is mainly composed of a motor, a power battery pack, and a voltage controller. The working mode is roughly as follows: the 12V system is responsible for the power consumption of conventional accessories, such as lighting, wipers, entertainment systems, etc.; the 48V mild hybrid system supports some configurations with higher power consumption, such as air-conditioning compressors, kinetic energy recovery, active suspension, electronic turbines, etc. When the voltage is increased, the current will decrease at the same power, and the power consumption will be reduced. In this way, not only the workload of the engine is reduced, but also the conditions are provided for the vehicle model to be equipped with higher power and more advanced technology configurations.

When parking, the 48V mild hybrid system can maintain the normal operation of the vehicle's power configuration; when the vehicle accelerates, the motor can make up for the lack of power of the engine; when braking, excess energy will be converted into electricity through the generator and stored in the battery, which is similar to the logic of most hybrid systems.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the 48V mild hybrid system?

From a macro perspective, the advantages are obvious. It can respond to relevant policies, achieve lower emissions, and be more energy-efficient. At the same time, the 48V mild hybrid system supports a wider power range, making it possible to install more advanced technology configurations, thereby enhancing the product strength of the vehicle. From the actual changes in the car experience, the system can also reduce the workload of the engine, reduce noise and vibration, and reduce the consumption and wear of engine-related components when the vehicle is driving. The operating voltage of the in-vehicle electrical appliances is increased to 48V, which can further reduce power consumption.

Although the 48V mild hybrid system has many advantages, it also has disadvantages. The most obvious one is that it is more expensive. If the same model is equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system, the relevant components need to be redeveloped and upgraded. For consumers, this upgrade may not be noticed, so that they do not understand the price increase of the model. In addition, there is also the possibility of arcing after the voltage increases, which poses certain safety hazards. However, the development of 48V mild hybrid technology has been very mature, and the 48V mild hybrid system of most models supports lifetime warranty, so there is no need to worry too much.

What is your attitude towards 48V mild hybrid models?

The popularity of 48V mild hybrid system has only started in recent years. Like pure electric models, its development is closely related to environmental protection policies and emission standards. More models are equipped with 48V mild hybrid system, and most of them are high-end models. Since the market share is the largest for ordinary brand family models, the market penetration rate of models equipped with 48V mild hybrid system is not high, so for most consumers, 48V mild hybrid system is a relatively unfamiliar configuration.

As the technology matures, the cost also decreases, and gradually this configuration can be seen on some ordinary models. For high-end models of luxury brands, the price increase of models equipped with 48V mild hybrid system has little impact on the total price of the model; for ordinary family models with more affordable prices, it is more obvious. Although the performance has been improved and the cost of using the car will be reduced, people will still compare it with models that are not equipped with 48V mild hybrid system. The two models that seem to be not much different are much more expensive. This will indeed make consumers unable to get over this hurdle in their hearts, so this will be a more prominent problem at the sales level.

At the same time, sales staff at 4S stores may not promote the 48V mild hybrid system as a major highlight, because consumers may not know much about it and have rarely heard of it, so the promotional effect may not be as obvious as highlights such as the panoramic sunroof and electric massage seats.

It has been mentioned before that models equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system can achieve the effect of reducing fuel consumption and saving energy. In fact, from the official data, fuel consumption has indeed been significantly reduced, but the actual fuel consumption performance of a model is highly correlated with the driver's habits, that is to say, the fuel consumption reduction achieved by the 48V mild hybrid system may also be masked by the driver's driving habits. However, models equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system can indeed make up for the lack of engine power during acceleration to achieve a smoother driving experience, and the overall driving quality will be greatly improved, which is beyond doubt.

Summarize

In general, the 48V mild hybrid system is a product of increasingly stringent environmental protection policies such as emission regulations. For automobile manufacturers, models equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system can reduce the average fuel consumption level and improve the overall product strength of the model. For consumers, since models equipped with a 48V mild hybrid system will have better smoothness, can effectively reduce engine noise, greatly improve driving comfort, and can effectively reduce fuel consumption and reduce vehicle costs under normal driving conditions. Although in the long run, perhaps 48V mild hybrid technology will be eliminated with the discontinuation of fuel vehicles, it is only a transitional technology, but it is still of great significance at the moment.