The EE Times reports that engineers at a 42-volt automotive systems conference have concluded that 42-volt systems will certainly replace 12-volt systems, even if higher than expected development costs and a slower economy have caused a delay to introduction.

Automotive experts at a 42-Volt Automotive Systems Conference held in Cleveland predict that half of all new vehicles will incorporate 42-V electrical architectures by 2010, and 100 percent will have the technology by 2020.

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The massive technological changeover is expected to create new opportunities for manufacturers of batteries and power electronics, and will usher in a new era of high-tech automotive features that today’s 12-V batteries couldn’t support, engineers said.

The EE Times report says that several car manufacturers have also said they already have, or will soon introduce, cars with 42-V architectures. Toyota described the development of its new Crown Mild Hybrid, which incorporates a 42-V/14-V electrical architecture, and Ford Motor Co. said it is working on a dual-voltage (42/14-V) station wagon, the Mondeo. DaimlerChrysler, meanwhile, has announced that it will also employ a dual-voltage design on a future Mercedes SL.

Engineers said at the conference that several factors would drive the move to 42-V, including fuel economy and reduced emissions. 42-V architecture is seen as an enabler for such features as “idle stop,” in which a vehicle’s engine shuts down at traffic lights.

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