International automotive supplier FORVIA HELLA is launching its first fully integrated 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack.
Scheduled to enter series production in China next summer following major orders from global vehicle manufacturers in the three-digit million euro range, this system is designed to replace passive low-voltage power with an intelligent, diagnostic-ready subsystem.
The shift toward lithium-ion low-voltage networks is driven heavily by functional safety requirements rather than just weight savings.
In modern electric and hybrid vehicles, the 12-volt supply does far more than power infotainment screens and driver assistance modules; it acts as a vital redundant power source.
Should the primary high-voltage on-board network fail, the 12-volt system must instantly take over to maintain safety-critical ASIL D functions, ensuring that steer-by-wire and electronic braking remain fully operational without interruption.
FORVIA HELLA achieves this seamless transition by pairing the new lithium-ion pack with its proprietary high-voltage DC-DC converter, creating a coordinated primary and secondary supply architecture.
From a diagnostic and service perspective, this integrated unit represents a fundamental departure from standard terminal load testing.
By physically combining the lithium-ion cells and the battery management system into a single subsystem, the pack reduces overall unit weight by roughly twenty percent compared to conventional lead-acid counterparts while simplifying vehicle wiring interfaces and saving installation space. Inside the housing, state-of-the-art multidimensional algorithms constantly measure current, voltage, temperature, and operating parameters in real time.
This allows the battery management system to calculate highly accurate State of Charge and State of Health metrics across the entire lifespan of the vehicle, transmitting this diagnostic data directly across the on-board network for technicians to read via compatible diagnostic tooling.
HELLA’s latest development is a clear indicator of where low-voltage service is heading.
As vehicle manufacturers continue to adopt integrated system solutions to save space and build robust electronic architectures, the days of diagnosing a low-voltage fault with a simple multimeter or carbon pile tester are fading.
Understanding intelligent energy management, network communication, and battery electronics will soon be just as vital for routine 12-volt maintenance as it is for high-voltage powertrain repairs.
