DigiKey just published a fascinating (though somewhat technical) white paper on the evolution of automotive electrical systems, which emphasis on the co-existence of 12VDC and 48VDC systems.
long time discussion, I went to car school in early 90's and was a subject then- students and instructors (with a memory of the widespread change from 6 to 12 volt)- anticipating 24 or 36 volt becoming std
The weight/mpg is the driver for higher voltage as wire strands can be thinner/lighter. saving hundreds of pounds in a vehicle
for most users there is little need for holdover of legacy products at 12 volts- the only thing the driver brings is a 5V phone- everything in the car can be native 48 V and the owner would never know.
Whitepaper on 12/48VDC automotive systems
Linear Mode
