One of the many special features of the new Tesla Cybertruck is its 48-volt on-board electrical system. Tesla does not keep that innovation to itself, but shares it with other manufacturers. That just happens in public, on X.
“You’re welcome,” Elon Musk says dryly to Ford CEO Jim Farley on X. It’s a reaction to a thank you from Farley, who has received a document from Musk explaining the 48-volt on-board electrical system of the Tesla Cybertruck. “Thank you Elon Musk, great for the car industry,” says Farley.
Tesla’s intention is to help the rest of the automotive industry to also get started with 48-volt systems. This is ultimately necessary because the 12 volt on-board voltage that is now common for secondary functions has reached its limits due to the increase in on-board electronics. The switch is difficult because there are no parts yet, the entire car has to be made suitable for it and it simply costs a lot of money in the initial phase. By taking the first step itself and sending the experiences on paper to other car brands, Tesla apparently hopes to unleash a revolution in this area.
“Great to read the document and realize that our team is on a similar path,” Farley said in a subsequent response. “Let’s work together to move the supply chain in the same direction.” The 48V on-board network has the advantage that thinner wiring can be used and higher powers are available with the same amount of current. Read: the on-board electrical system can handle more electronics.
The Cybertruck’s 48-volt system should not be confused with the 48v systems that we have known for some time in (mild) hybrids. These relate to the drivetrain, where an inverter ensures that functions not linked to it still work ‘normally’ on 12 volts. With the Cybertruck, that step is no longer there and everything works on 48 volts, except the 800V drivetrain.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl