ZoZoAuto Research has released the "2026 48V Low-Voltage Power Distribution Network (PDN) Architecture and Supply Chain Panorama Research Report".
The automotive 48V low-voltage Power Distribution Network (PDN) refers to the entire power transmission and distribution system from the power source to the load, using 48V voltage as the low-voltage distribution standard. The introduction of the 48V low-voltage electrical system involves key products and technologies such as architecture pathways, 48V power systems, 48V zone controllers and key chips, 48V motors and actuators, and 48V connectors and cables.
For a long time, 48V systems have been more commonly seen in mild hybrid vehicles to improve fuel economy. Given the rapid evolution of NEV (New Energy Vehicle) intelligence and advanced autonomous driving, electrical loads are increasing and power demands are growing. Considering factors such as wiring harnesses, costs, and power consumption, automakers are re-evaluating the value of 48V in the overall vehicle E/E architecture. The Tesla Cybertruck is the first production vehicle to adopt a 48V low-voltage electrical system, marking a significant improvement and simplification of the electrical architecture. The 48V PDN is becoming the underlying infrastructure for next-generation high-end pure electric platforms. Therefore, this report focuses on the analysis of application scenarios for 48V systems on pure electric platforms and research on supply chain construction.
First Priority Application Scenario for 48V PDN: 48V Chassis-by-Wire
Based on current solutions and implementations from OEMs and suppliers, the chassis-by-wire is the highest priority application scenario for 48V systems in pure electric vehicles. Traditional 12V systems, due to power bottlenecks, heavy wiring harnesses, and high energy consumption, struggle to support high-power intelligent loads such as steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, and fully active suspensions, whereas the 48V system naturally resolves this issue.
48V Brake-by-Wire System: The 48V system can provide 1-3kW of instantaneous high power, meeting the power requirements of EMB (Electro-Mechanical Brake) motors. The motor response speed is faster (response time can be reduced to within 100ms), braking accuracy is higher, and braking force is greater, enabling shorter braking distances and adapting to advanced intelligent driving functions such as Autonomous Emergency Braking System (AEBS) and emergency autonomous pull-over.
Taking Xiaomi Auto's 48V four-wheel fully dry electro-mechanical braking as an example: Each wheel is equipped with an independent 48V EMB electronic brake caliper. The motor power module on the caliper directly pushes the piston through a mechanical transmission mechanism to generate braking force, resulting in higher transmission efficiency and faster braking speed. Compared to electro-hydraulic braking, its clamping response speed is improved by 40%; in a 100-0 km/h braking test, from the driver pressing the brake pedal to the vehicle stopping, the braking distance is shortened by more than 1 meter.
Xiaomi Auto 48V Brake-by-Wire
Xiaomi's 48V brake-by-wire system adopts "dual-piston EMB electronic brake calipers". Compared to traditional single-piston EMB calipers, its friction area is expanded by 50%, providing stable and excellent braking performance even in intense driving and continuous braking scenarios. Equipped with a high-precision clamping force sensing module, the clamping accuracy is doubled, allowing for finer braking control. This ensures smoother deceleration during braking and more precise following distances, greatly enhancing the braking experience for both manual and autonomous driving. Meanwhile, Xiaomi's EMB electronic brake caliper features an active adjustment function for the caliper disc pad clearance, which can be intelligently adjusted according to working conditions. The friction loss (drag torque) of the braking system is reduced by 50%, and the vehicle's driving range is additionally increased by more than 10 kilometers.
48V Steer-by-Wire System: The steer-by-wire system adopts 48V. The high power density characteristic makes "reduction gear-free" direct-drive steer-by-wire possible, realizing the decoupling of the steering wheel and wheels, supporting a steering wheel-free cockpit layout, and meeting the needs of advanced autonomous driving for fast response and full redundancy safety (ASIL-D). Additionally, the 48V system enables a lighter and more cost-effective redundant design for the steering actuator, achieving an ultra-large steering ratio adjustment range.
Taking Bosch Huayu's 48V direct-drive steer-by-wire product as an example: Adopting a 48V architecture, it meets the demand for large power assist output while reducing current and cooling pressure. In scenarios requiring high power output, such as emergency evasion and automatic parking, the advantages of steering performance influenced by the 48V architecture will be more pronounced. Drivers can intuitively perceive the improvement in steering response speed brought by the increased rotational speed. Bosch Huayu's 48V steer-by-wire product is expected to enter mass production as early as 2027.
Bosch Huayu 48V Direct-Drive Steer-by-Wire Product
Bosch's 48V direct-drive steer-by-wire feel simulation unit adopts a reduction gear-free direct-drive solution, achieving lossless transmission of commands. Paired with a 48V electronic control unit, it achieves the goals of lightweight design and energy saving. Compared to the traditional worm gear solution, it improves steering column rigidity and enhances steering control accuracy. It not only optimizes NVH performance and operational feel but also achieves a significant increase in power density, with assist performance increasing by more than 50% at the same volume. Moreover, due to the improved simplification of the product structure and the enhanced lean manufacturing process, system stability and reliability are effectively enhanced.
The 48V direct-drive steer-by-wire technology is paired with a large-angle rear-wheel steering system solution, achieving a maximum output torque of 15.5 Nm. It adopts a highly integrated structural design, significantly improving system rigidity and stability. It can achieve precise torque output unaffected by temperature fluctuations, bringing users a pure and delicate steering feel.
48V Fully Active Suspension: The core design logic of the 48V fully active suspension is "to bring the execution unit closer to the vibration source". It completely encapsulates the brushless DC motor, micro hydraulic pump, solenoid valve, and controller within the shock absorber body, directly placing them next to the shock absorber of each wheel. This completely eliminates the central pump station and long-distance high-pressure pipelines of traditional hydraulic suspensions, achieving millisecond-level active adjustment. The 48V motor-driven active suspension has a faster response speed than traditional hydraulic systems, enabling precise control of the vehicle body posture for better handling and comfort.
Taking NIO's 48V integrated fully active suspension solution as an example: its core component is the 48V electro-hydraulic pump, which highly integrates the micro motor, motor controller, and hydraulic pump body next to the shock absorber. There is one electro-hydraulic pump per wheel, powered by a 48V low-voltage supply. The micro motor uses a 48V BLDC (Brushless DC) motor with a peak power of 5kW. By applying active force to the shock absorber, it adjusts the vehicle body posture. It can perform 1,000 torque adjustments per second, with an adjustment range of up to 90 millimeters. Its adjustment speed is 60 times that of an air spring suspension. Similarly, in specific scenarios, it can also achieve a certain amount of braking energy recovery.
The core advantages of the 48V integrated solution lie in its fast response (1ms for the actuator, 40Hz for the system's macro control frequency) and high precision. Its filtering effect on the 4-8Hz fine vibrations, to which the human body is most sensitive, is more than 3 times that of traditional air suspensions. It is more suitable for handling daily road settlements, bulges, speed bumps, and continuous small undulations.
Core Component of NIO's 48V Integrated Fully Active Suspension Solution — 48V Electro-Hydraulic Pump
Taking Zeekr 9X's 48V active suspension solution as an example: the core technology is mainly reflected in its 48V active stabilizer bar. The Zeekr 9X adopts a technical combination of closed dual-chamber air suspension + dual-valve CCD (Continuous Damping Control) electromagnetic shock absorber + 48V active anti-roll bar. The 48V active stabilizer bar features functions such as instant correction of vehicle body posture, significant suppression of roll, improvement of smoothness on rough roads, and provision of side collision protection. When the vehicle corners at a high speed of 80km/h, the roll is almost zero.
The micro motor uses 48V, with a response time of 0.2 seconds. It can provide a lifting torque of 1400 N•m, achieving a maximum lifting effect of 80mm, allowing the vehicle to approach zero roll when cornering at high speeds. Meanwhile, upon sensing an impending side collision, it can instantly lift the chassis on that side within 0.7 seconds.
Second Priority Application Scenario for 48V PDN: 48V Zonal Power Distribution
Current vehicles are all designed based on 12V systems. A large number of traditional loads in the vehicle, such as body control modules, lights, instruments, multimedia, and wipers, still rely on 12V power supply. The main application scenarios for the 48V system target local high-power equipment such as chassis-by-wire, high-power audio, smart lights, smart seats, and window lifts. On the basis of retaining the 12V main power distribution, performance is improved through partial 48V adoption. Therefore, the 12V and 48V systems will coexist in the whole vehicle for a long time. Considering the different architecture development paths of various automakers, the 48V power supply will gradually transition.
Phase 1: 48V as a third voltage domain, added to the 12V system. The 48V solutions currently deployed in vehicles are generally based on the consideration of low modification costs. On the basis of the existing 12V low-voltage power supply architecture, a 48V power source and an HV-48V DC/DC conversion module are added. The primary power distribution of 12V and 48V power sources coexists, with 48V only powering local high-power loads. This hybrid power supply architecture has the highest complexity in terms of the whole vehicle wiring harness and power distribution network.
Phase 2: 48V main power distribution, retaining 48V/12V hybrid within zones. This is an intermediate form transitioning from 12V to a full 48V architecture. The vehicle's main power distribution network is upgraded to 48V, and high-power loads have been migrated to the 48V system. Some low-power ECUs and loads are temporarily retained in the 12V system, powered through the 48V/12V DC-DC module within the Zone Control Unit (ZCU), forming a hybrid architecture of "coexistence of 48V and 12V within the zone". The core value of this phase is to reduce system complexity while maintaining compatibility with traditional components that have not yet completed 48V adaptation. It is a compromise solution balancing cost and technological iteration.
Phase 3: Full-vehicle 48V power supply. All ECUs and loads complete the 48V upgrade, and there is no longer any 12V power supply in the whole vehicle. The system architecture is significantly simplified, and cost, weight, and reliability all reach optimal states.
As the automotive E/E architecture evolves, the zonal architecture adapts to 48V, enabling distributed power distribution. The application of the 48V system in zone controllers mainly revolves around the hybrid power distribution architecture of "48V backbone network + local 12V". A 48V backbone network connects to each zone controller, which integrates a 48V/12V DC-DC conversion module, realizing hybrid power supply for 48V and 12V loads, and achieving more flexible power allocation and fault isolation. In zonal power supply scenarios, the 48V architecture can achieve an 85% dual reduction in wiring harness weight and cost compared to 12V. Even for local loads such as window motors, it can achieve over 60% wiring harness weight reduction and more than half of the cost optimization.
Summary of Partial 48V Zone Controller Solutions
Source: ZoZoAuto Research "2026 48V Low-Voltage Power Distribution Network (PDN) Architecture and Supply Chain Panorama Research Report"
In April 2026, NXP and Neusoft Reach collaborated to jointly release the CoreRide Z248 zone controller system solution based on NeuSAR OS, integrating chips, intelligent power management, pre-integrated safety-certified software, data management, and audio functions. This solution is expected to launch the Z248 CoreRide B-sample product in the fourth quarter of this year, and release the final version with fully optimized performance by the end of 2027.
The CoreRide Z248 zone controller system solution is NXP's latest system-level solution for the 48V electrical architecture, developed based on the NXP S32K5 chip platform. The S32K5 is equipped with Arm® Cortex®-M7 and Cortex-R52 cores, supporting single-core, multi-core, or lockstep core configurations. It adopts a 16nm process technology and MRAM storage technology, with functional safety up to ASIL-D.
NXP Z248 Zone Controller Solution Hardware Block Diagram
Source: NXP
The Z248 also pre-integrates Neusoft Reach's NeuSAR OS basic software, completing system-level hardware and software collaborative optimization. It can be directly used as a basic platform for OEMs and Tier 1s to develop zone controllers, reducing zone controller development workload by up to 50%.
NXP Z248 Zone Controller Solution Software Block Diagram
Source: NXP
48V PDN Supply Chain: High Maturity of Semiconductor Devices, Micro-Motor Ecosystem to be Improved
Upgrading from 12V to a 48V system will also change the performance requirements of related semiconductor components. Chips for power conversion, driving, and communication at the hardware level need to be upgraded, while internal 48V/12V DC-DC converters need to be added, along with considerations for voltage isolation and thermal design. From the perspective of supply chain maturity, for the power management of 48V systems, related products such as e-Fuse, DC/DC, high-side switches, Gate Drivers, bridge driver chips, brushless motor driver chips, brushed motor driver chips, and MOSFETs are already available. However, the cost remains high due to the lack of scaled application. There is a lack of highly integrated products such as PMIC (Power Management IC) and SBC (System Basis Chip) chips. Therefore, 48V DC/DC is currently the core component for 48V system power management.
Upgrading from 12V to a 48V system also has a significant impact on actuators. Traditional 12V motors, relays, and other components cannot be directly used in a 48V environment and require redesigning the insulation class and voltage resistance. Additionally, the copper wire diameter in the rotor coil winding of 48V motors becomes smaller, the number of turns increases, the voltage resistance requirements for the commutator and brushes increase, and the number of turns also needs adjustment. From the perspective of supply chain maturity, the maturity of actuators such as 48V motors and load-type products is relatively low, and the matching with PMICs needs optimization.
The 48V PDN supply chain exhibits the characteristics of semiconductors leading, actuators lagging, and standards to be improved. Driven by automakers such as Tesla, NIO, and Xiaomi, along with the gradual improvement of ISO/SAE/GB standards, a turning point for scaled application is expected between 2028 and 2030.
Assessment of 48V System Supply Chain Maturity
Source: ZoZoAuto Research "2026 48V Low-Voltage Power Distribution Network (PDN) Architecture and Supply Chain Panorama Research Report"
To support next-generation 48V smart vehicle actuators, in June 2026, Bosch launched the SD148, a highly integrated intelligent motor controller specifically designed for native 48V automotive applications. The SD148 integrates multiple key functional modules such as MCU (Microcontroller Unit), PMU, gate drive, current sensing, and communication interfaces into a single chip, reducing reliance on external components. It offers advantages such as simplified system architecture, reduced external components, lower BOM (Bill of Materials) cost, improved efficiency, and reduced PCB (Printed Circuit Board) complexity, optimized for BLDC motor control applications.
The SD148 is powered directly from the 48V grid and supports loads up to 2kW. It features a built-in 32-bit ARM® Cortex-M33® processor running at 80 MHz, supporting advanced motor control algorithms such as Field-Oriented Control (FOC). It can be widely applied in various fields such as water pumps, fans, seat adjusters, brakes, and steering systems.
Bosch SD148 Designed Specifically for 48V Smart Actuators
Source: Bosch
The SD148 integrates a highly efficient switching regulator optimized for automotive 48V systems. Compared to traditional linear transformation methods, it achieves lower power consumption, reduced thermal stress, improved system efficiency, and simplified thermal management. This advantage is particularly evident in medium-power motor applications such as fans and water pumps. The SD148 is specifically designed for next-generation zonal centralized E/E architectures, supporting the integration of intelligence, sensing, and execution within compact edge nodes. It supports distributed intelligent actuator architectures while also supporting evolution towards central computing architectures.
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