Vehicle electrification

Vehicle electrification is a topic that covers many aspects of electrification in vehicles.^[1] It may cover vehicles with electrical means of propulsion, as well as electricity playing a role in their functionality. Voltages vary widely between applications.

Aviation

Land vehicles

This section will cover common voltages for different vehicle applications.

5 volt

5 volt systems are typically just a secondary voltage system on USB ports that come with newer automobiles as they complement the traditional cigar lighter receptacle as they both have their roles in charging mobile devices.

6 volt

Automobiles engineered prior to the 1940s had 6-volt systems in them. However, 6-volts is a common voltage for single 3-cell deep-cycle lead-acid batteries for applications such as golf carts, though they have 24 volts or 36 volts for their electric motors.

12 volt

12 volt systems are by far the most common voltage system for vehicles in general. Primarily the voltage was devised to overcome limitations of old 6-volt systems as, by the 1950s starting motors needed to become more powerful, but needed more power with less current as well as a way to cut down on wire gauge as more equipment came along and put a greater load on the system. Over time, 12 volt systems evolved to have mainstream niche fields like car audio which has spanned across

24 volt

24 volt systems are common in military and commercial truck applications. It is also a secondary voltage system for switch-mode power supplies with parallel-to-series relays for facilitating engine starting on diesel engines as they require more compression than regular gas.

42 volt

Rail transport

References

See also

• Car audio
• Car battery
• Cigar lighter receptacle
• Electrification