Valeo predict more than 4 million new vehicles will be equipped with 48-volt systems in China annually by 2023. “That’s about 13 percent of annual
vehicle production in China by then,” Valeo China President Francois Marion estimated last month at a news briefing in Shanghai.
Chinese automakers did not embrace 48-volt systems until last year. The systems enable automakers to apply fuel-saving and cost-effective technologies such as stop-start systems, regenerative braking, and e-turbochargers. The main factor driving the application of 48-volt systems is China’s tougher fuel economy and emission control requirements, said Michael Forissier, head of global R&D and product marketing director for Valeo Powertrain Systems.
To meet the regulatory requirements, it is “absolutely necessary” for automakers in China to install 48-volt systems across their light-vehicle lineups, especially bigger vehicles, says Forissier.
In early 2017, Valeo became the first global supplier to build 48-volt systems in China. The French supplier say their system, which includes an e-supercharger and a starter-generator, can improve fuel economy by 15 percent.
Other 48-volt suppliers include Continental, Delphi, Bosch, and Schaeffler. Valeo have landed more than 20 orders for the systems globally, including 12 orders from China. Based on the orders secured, Valeo are now the largest supplier of 48-volt systems in China, according to Marion.
