48V in automotive

Paving the way for the 48V power net to reduce wire harness weight and cost

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The transition to 48V systems in vehicles
The transition from 12V to 48V in automotive reduces wire harness weight and cost, unlocking opportunities to add new electronic features as vehicles continue to evolve toward L3+ autonomous driving and improve fuel efficiency and drive range. Our broad portfolio of intelligent and scalable solutions enables a seamless transition to 48V automotive architectures, providing safe power distribution, efficient power conversion, reliable load actuation and robust electronic control unit (ECU) communication. Our reference designs, technical resources and system expertise provide the support you need at every step to help you confidently navigate the transition.

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Automotive body motors

Accelerating the evolution of passenger comfort and convenience

Automotive lighting

Create pixelated, scalable and efficient automotive lighting solutions

HEV/EV battery-management system (BMS)

Advance the adoption of electric vehicles worldwide using our continuous innovation and system expertise in battery management system (BMS) solutions

Thermal management

Maximize driving range and lower cost of electric vehicles (EVs) with efficient system solutions for evolving EV thermal management architectures

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Why choose TI for your 48V automotive systems?

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Seamlessly transition to 48V

Streamline development with 48V solutions that leverage processes and features from our established 12V portfolio.

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Provide comprehensive 48V solutions

Take advantage of our portfolio as we expand into 48V automotive solutions including DC/DC converters, motor drivers, high- and low-side switches, and smart eFuses.

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Optimize electromagnetic compatibility and efficiency

Leverage our packaging expertise and features to develop compact designs with high power density and improved EMC performance.

48V solutions

Smart eFuse high-side switches, ideal diodes and current-sense amplifiers

48V power distribution requires reliable and safe distribution to downstream electronics.

Our 48V power distribution solutions offer:

  • Integrated I2t wire protection.
  • Integrated and external gate  field-effect transistor (FET) solutions.
  • Efficient reverse-current protection for power supply ORing.
  • Precise integrated or external current sensing with bidirectional options.

A combination of smart eFuse high-side switches, ideal diodes and current sense amplifiers are needed to achieve safe and reliable 48V power distribution.

parametric-filter View 48V smart eFuse high-side switches parametric-filter View 48V current-sense amplifiers parametric-filter View 48V ideal diode controllers
Reference design
48V zone reference design
This reference design demonstrates trends in advanced automotive 48V low-voltage rail architectures. The design includes the 48V backbone architecture and 48V to 12V power conversion.
White paper
Smarter Power Distribution: Shaping the Future of Automotive Technology
This white paper discusses how the emergence of zone architectures, 48V systems and other trends have enabled smarter, safer and more optimized power distribution in vehicles.
PDF | HTML
Analog Design Journal
Cascaded ideal diodes: Solving 48V EV power challenges
The article discusses the challenges of designing an ORing stage for a 48V system and how a cascaded ideal diode configuration offers a robust solution for safely handling input supply interruptions and external transient events.
PDF | HTML
Featured products for 48V power distribution
TPS4812-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive 100V low IQ high-side driver with bi-directional current monitoring, I2t, and diagnost
LM74700D-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive, 3.2-V to 70-V, 80-µA reverse battery protection ideal diode controller
INA241A-Q1 ACTIVE AEC-Q100, -4V to 110V bidirectional ultraprecise current sense amplifier with enhanced PWM rejection

DC/DC converters, battery chargers and USB Type-C® PD

48V architectures require various power solutions to supply vehicle electronic systems and loads while minimizing heat dissipation and EMI. Our solutions improve efficiency, decrease design size, and reduce EMI in your 48V applications.

Important 48V applications include:

  • 800V or 400V to 48V conversion.
  • 48V to 0.5V-16V conversion.
  • 48V lithium-Ion battery and supercapacitor charging.
  • 48V to USB Type-C PD.
  • 48V to audio amplifier supply.
parametric-filter View 48V DC/DC controllers parametric-filter View 48V DC/DC converters (integrated FET) parametric-filter View 48V battery charger ICs arrow-right Learn more about gate drivers
Application note
Reducing Conducted EMI in a Buck Converter for 48 V Automotive Applications
This application note discusses some of the challenges of EMI in buck converters, particularly in automotive systems where the power rail increases to 48V DC.
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Video
Automotive 48V to Core High Power Reference Design
Watch this video to learn about our solution for supplying the core voltage rail directly from a 48V power supply.
Reference design
30V to 60V input, 240W buck converter reference design with GaN switches
This reference design comprises a power supply generating a regulated 12V output from a nominal 48V battery input (ranging from 30V to 60V).
Featured products for 48V power conversion
LM5137F-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive, 80V, 100% duty cycle, dual-channel, functional safety synchronous buck controller
LM65680-Q1 PREVIEW Automotive 65V, 8A synchronous buck converter optimized for low-EMI
BQ25856-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive I2C controlled 70-V bidirectional buck-boost charge controller

Motor drivers, high- and low-side switches, and LED drivers

48V motor, lighting and other electrical loads require drivers that can handle high transient voltages while limiting heat dissipation.

Our 48V load actuation solutions provide:

  • >70V maximum input voltage.
  • High thermal density packaging for compact printed circuit board designs.
  • Scalable drivers with integrated and external FET solutions.
  • TI Functional Safety-Capable devices.
  • Intelligent diagnostics features.
  • Integrated slew-rate control and other electromagnetic interference (EMI) reduction techniques.
parametric-filter View 48V high-side switches parametric-filter View 48V LED drivers parametric-filter View 48V brushed-DC motor drivers arrow-right Learn more about 48V brushless-DC motor drivers
Application note
Motor Driver Slew Rate Considerations for 48V Automotive Systems
While there are multiple new system-level considerations at the 48V voltage level, this application note focuses on MOSFET power losses and how the power losses change when transitioning from 12V to 48V systems. 
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White paper
Design Considerations for 48V Automotive Body Motor Applications
The transition to 48V systems brings many benefits, but also presents several challenges for body motor designs commonly used in applications such as door modules, window lifts, wipers and power seats.
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Reference design
48V 300W HVAC pump, blower, and fan reference design
This design demonstrates a 48V, 300W-peak smart motor brushless direct current (BLDC) implementation. The discrete approach enables compact and flexible form factors while maintaining low-power performance.
Featured products for 48V load drivers
DRV8263-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive 48V full-bridge motor driver with diagnostics and internal current sense
NEW TPS482H85-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive, 48V, 85-mΩ dual-channel smart high-side switch
NEW DRV3263-Q1 PREVIEW Automotive, 48V battery three-phase gate driver unit with accurate current sensing

CAN and LIN transceivers for 48V automotive networks

48V systems require robust communication among distributed ECUs in electrically harsh environments. CAN and LIN transceivers enable reliable in-vehicle networking while ensuring signal integrity and system protection.

Our solutions offer:

  • High electromagnetic immunity with a wide ±30V common-mode range for improved signal integrity.
  • Integrated bus fault protection including short-to-battery (up to 70V), short-to-ground, and overvoltage protection, with transient protection up to 85V.
  • CAN FD support for higher data rates and improved bandwidth efficiency.
  • Low-power standby modes with local and remote wake-up capabilities.
parametric-filter View 48V CAN parametric-filter View 48V LIN
Featured products for 48V communication
NEW TCAN942H-Q1 PREVIEW Automotive CAN FD transceiver with standby for 48V systems
TCAN1051HG-Q1 ACTIVE Automotive 70-V bus-fault-protected CAN FD transceiver with 5-Mbps flexible data-rate and sleep mode
TLIN4029A-Q1 ACTIVE Local interconnect network (LIN) transceiver with dominant state timeout and ±70V fault protection

Reference designs related to 48V in automotive

Use our reference design selection tool to find designs that best match your application and parameters.

View reference designs
The shift to 48V systems presents both opportunities and challenges for in-vehicle audio. Solutions from TI allow us to maintain our premium sound quality standards while adapting to new voltage architectures, helping our OEM partners accelerate their 48V adoption without compromising the driver experience.
– Jim Walter | Executive Director of Advanced Engineering

Technical resources

White paper
White paper
48V Automotive Systems: Why Now?
In this paper, we discuss the growing interest in 48V low-voltage rail systems for electric and hybrid vehicles and how engineers can use them to reduce wire harness size and cost while enabling new features. 
document-pdfAcrobat PDF
White paper
White paper
Smarter Power Distribution: Shaping the Future of Automotive Technology
This white paper discusses how the emergence of zone architectures, 48V systems and other trends have enabled smarter, safer and more optimized power distribution in vehicles.
document-pdfAcrobat PDF
Technical article
Technical article
4 critical design challenges for 48V systems
This article covers four design challenges introduced by the shift to 48V automotive systems: safe and reliable power distribution, efficient load actuation, protection from 48V short faults and communication integrity.
document-pdfAcrobat PDF