The Dodge MAXXcab concept vehicle DaimlerChrysler displayed on this year’s auto-show circuit incorporates all the stylish lines and chutzpa truck fans have come to expect from the company that spawned the mini-van and helped launch the sport-utility vehicle craze.
But the MAXXcab’s stylish exterior and bold packaging masked another development that will change cars and light trucks–pickups trucks, mini-vans and SUVs. It comes with a 42-volt electrical system that opens the door to a new generation of electrical and electronic gadgets and technology.
“Our industry is on the verge of making enormous breakthroughs in mobile multimedia, safety, drive-by-wire systems and other technologies that require increased electrical energy and power needs. To address those needs, automakers and suppliers must work together to successfully implement enablers such as 42-volt systems and integrated electrical/electronic architectures,” said Jose Maria Alapont, president of Delphi Automotive Systems Europe, where there is more interest in the technology.
For consumers, the change means the existing 12-volt battery will be replaced by a 36-volt model and the on-board generator will be upgraded to handle 42 volts rather than the now standard 14, said David Cole, director of the University of Michigan Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation.
The system will be connected to the standard generator and alternator found on today’s cars and initially could include a second, 12-volt battery to handle the lighting because bulbs tend to burn out when hooked higher voltage.
And auto industry technical experts say the payoff from the new technology will be substantial.
Forty-two volt systems will let carmakers use features such as electromagnetic valve trains, which provide smoother movement and more precise timing than mechanical valve trains; more sophisticated ride and handling technology; and integrated starter systems that are quieter and faster. The net result will be cars that are cleaner, more fuel-efficient and easier to handle, said Jean Booty, director of Delphi Energy & Chassis Systems’ Customer Solution Center.
“A 42-volt system by itself doesn’t get you much of anything. It’s essentially an enabler,” said Kurt Schoepfle, sales manager for Siemens Automotive North American.
Tripling the voltage also allows carmakers to cut the current by two-thirds, which means you can downsize wiring harnesses and other components, said Cole.
This will open the door for new designs because space once devoted to wiring could be devoted to passengers or cargo, Cole said.
It also would enable drive-by-wire systems that transmit steering directions to the front wheels electronically rather than mechanically and would eliminate the need for the steering column, said Cole.
Automotive engineers have been talking about the need to put more electrical power in vehicles for several years, but implementation has been slow.
“You can’t change everything at once,” said Ted Vartabedian, an electrical engineer with Siemens Automotive. The switch requires re-engineering and rewiring almost every system in the vehicle to accommodate the higher energy loads, Vartabedian noted.
Nevertheless, the shift is under way, say representatives of key suppliers of electrical components such as Siemens, Delphi and Robert Bosch.
Next spring Siemens will begin to supply a new vehicle supplemental powerplant called a starter-generator, which will be offered as standard equipment on vehicles in Europe.
The new starter-generator begins the transition to the 42-volt vehicle electrical system, Vartabedian said.
“With the advent of starter-generator and a supporting 42-volt vehicle architecture, power struggles (between engineers, who design the technology, and designers, who have to package it) will soon become a thing of the past,” said Vartabedian. “The increasing demand for electrical power during low engine speed or cold starting will no longer overburden a vehicle’s power supply with starter-generator.”
Siemens officials have declined to say what automaker has ordered the new system but most of the speculation has centered on BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have been experimenting with a new generation of high-tech engines that use electrical rather than mechanical power to run key parts such as the valve train.
Siemens spokesman David Ladd said plans call for phasing in the new, more powerful electrical system over five years.
Experts said technical barriers, such as the need for a new platform, and cost are holding back the introduction of the 42-volt technology despite its obvious advantages.
“You aren’t going to be able to charge a premium for 42-volt technology,” said Jerry Cilibraise, director of advanced chassis engineering at DaimlerChrysler Corp. in Auburn Hills, Mich., even when it provides the energy needed to run convenience-oriented features such as mobile offices or quieter, more-efficient air conditioners. Though consumers want these things, he added, the experience of the electric car, for example, shows they are not willing to pay for it.
Consumer demand for new features and more comfort is pushing the automakers toward the 42-volt systems, Cilibraise said.
“You can put a lot more in the cars. There are all these power-hungry features that are coming. It takes more power. That’s one side of it,” Cilibraise added.
“The other side is that a 42-volt system gives designers more control over the subsystems. Right now you have a water pump idling away. It’s a huge device but it’s not a very smart one and all that pumping is wasted power,” he says.
An electric water pump is more efficient and helps boost fuel economy because it isn’t draining mechanical power, he noted.
“There are a lot of good things could be done to improve fuel economy with 42 volts,” Cilibraise said.
Initially automakers probably will use the 42-volt system for heated windows and seats, heating and air conditioning blowers and automatic door locks and other convenience features, Vartabedian said.
Vartabedian added the 14-volt systems will remain in vehicles for the next several years to keep the light bulbs from burning out prematurely. And higher voltage neon-type lighting is considered too expensive for general use in automobiles, Vartabedian noted.
The 42-volt systems should begin showing up on vehicles in substantial numbers in 2003 and 2004, Schoepfle said.
“There is definitely a greater momentum on 42-volt systems,” said Schoepfle. “We are at the point now where a lot of the suppliers and manufacturers are developing applications that use 42-volts,” he said.
After luxury vehicles such as Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW, Cilibraise said he expected the 42-volt systems to show up in sport-utilities and pickups.
ELECTRIC AVENUE
A car’s electrical system comprises the battery, starter, alternator, fuses and electrical accessories.
– The battery stores electricity that is unleashed when the ignition switch is turned. It also sends energy from the alternator to other parts of the car while the car is running.
– The starter uses the initial charge from the battery to turn the engine’s flywheel, thereby starting the engine.
– The alternator, also called the generator, converts mechanical energy from the engine into electricity, which is sent back to the battery, recharging it as it powers the car’s accessories. It is powered by the drivebelt.
– Fuses are safety devices that function like the fuses in a home. When the level of electricity is high enough to potentially cause a fire, a fuse blows out to cut the circuit and end the danger.
– Electrical accessories include headlights, taillights, turnsignals, the windshield wiper motor, radio and horn. These receive electricity from the electrical system to provide necessary or convenient driving functions.
Sources: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Trouble-Free Car Care,” “The Woman’s Fix-It Car Care Book” and Reader’s Digest “Family Handyman Simple Car Care & Repair.”
