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25 sees that through battery technology developments that will increase the range of vehicles (to about 200 miles) while reducing costs and due to regulations related to global warming, there will be a greater proliferation of highly electrifed vehicles. But they're not waiting for batteries; they are developing systems to leverage the capabilities of engines without necessarily requiring a major overhaul under the hood. For example, there is the company's VSS—Voltage Stabilization System, which is having its frst U.S. application in models of the Cadillac ATS and CTS, though there has been extensive use in European-made vehicles. This is a key element to improve start-stop systems. While start-stop systems have been around for a while, the diference with this system, which helps improve fuel economy and lower emissions (i.e., if the engine isn't running, it isn't burning fuel), is that while start-stop systems may require a secondary battery or an additional DC/DC converter, VSS uses an ultracapacitor. When the brake pedal is released and the accelerator pedal is depressed, the 12-V battery starts the car, but the ultracapacitor boosts the battery and electrical system, thereby stabilizing the fow of electricity in the vehicle. And because the ultracap is supplementing the battery, the battery is expected to have a longer life than would be the case were it to be regu- larly starting the vehicle on its own. Going further than the 12-V system, Continental is pursuing 48-V hybrid architectures. Explaining the approach, Avila says, "The aim will be to be to achieve even greater efciency benefts with less installation space and weight while keeping costs the same. The integration architecture of a 48-V system can make a big contribution here. That is why we are developing other architecture solutions for the period after 2020." But it has solutions available before 2020, such as its 48-V Eco Drive, which is going to be installed in several vehicles in 2016. This system integrates the starter generator into the engine's belt drive. In tests based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), it has demonstrated fuel savings of 13%. As for 2020, Continental is working with another supplier, Schaefer ( schaefer-group.com ), on a module that features a 48-V belt-starter generator (BSG) and integrated belt drive. Named the "P2-BSG," this system is engineered so that it is side-mounted between the engine and the transmission. By ftting a second coupling in front of the P2-BSG, it can be driven by the belt, without the need of being driven by the engine. It is expected to be ready for volume production by 2020. Then there is a third-generation approach that they're pursuing, the P2-ISG, which is located directly between the engine and the transmission. The "I" stands for "integrated": unlike the BSG, it is not belt-driven, which eliminates the friction losses caused by a belt. This is expected to be ready for prime time by 2025. The people at Continental are not waiting for the electrifed, automated automotive future. They are engineering it. p As these architectures show, they're moving to 48-V systems to help improve fuel economy and to reduce emissions.