Johnson Controls Power Solutions President, Alex Molinaroli, unveiled the company’s 48V Micro Hybrid battery module during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. This development is part of the company’s full spectrum of advanced energy storage solutions for automobiles

"Johnson Controls sees opportunities for the development of evolutionary energy storage systems that offer even more fuel efficiency than Start-Stop at less cost than a hybrid or electric vehicle," Molinaroli states. "Even as Start-Stop vehicles become part of the mainstream in Europe and start to take hold in the U.S., Micro Hybrid technology has the potential to deliver the next level of fuel efficiency along the spectrum of vehicle performance, reaching upwards of 15% to 20% in fuel economy."

Leveraging a dual voltage architecture, Johnson Controls' Micro Hybrid battery system would involve a low voltage lead-acid battery and a 48V Lithium-ion battery that enable optimization of energy generation and consumption, thus saving fuel. 

In prospective development programs with key automakers, the 48V battery could support higher power loads such as electric air-conditioning, active chassis technologies and the capture of direct regenerative power energy braking. The 12V battery would continue to provide power to the vehicle starter, interior and exterior lights, and entertainment systems such as radios and DVD players. 

"We expect this technology to be adopted in Europe first, due to more stringent fuel economy and emissions standards, and then quickly move to U.S. markets in the next few years with mass adoption by 2020," Molinaroli states.