Other Automakers Got Tesla’s Design: No Joke!
The revolutionary Tesla Cybertruck is the first vehicle to be powered by a 48-volt architecture instead of the 12-volt system that has been the industry norm since the 1950s. As an invitation to rival automakers, Tesla sent out a document titled “How To Design a 48-Volt Vehicle” to several CEOs. This could be seen as a provocative move, but it appears that at least one major car manufacturer has accepted the challenge and taken the document seriously.
“They weren’t joking,” Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, posted on X. “We received the document today, dated Dec. 5th. Thanks, Elon Musk. Great for the industry!” It appears that Tesla has once again made good on its promise to share its patents with other automakers. This is not the first time this has happened, and it may even be the case that Full Self Driving will be shared in the foreseeable future. But the question remains: will other car companies actually take advantage of this patent?
Many other vehicles currently available make use of 48-volt mild-hybrids to manage components like adaptive suspension and anti-roll. For example, Multimatic created a sophisticated system for Ferrari’s Purosangue. However, it was Tesla’s utilization of such an electrical framework across the whole vehicle which has enabled their engineers to transform the Cybertruck and introduce some remarkable advancements.
Infiniti has operated something related to this for some time, sporting a physical safeguard augmented to the steering rack, yet it is Lexus which has been working on a pioneering steer-by-wire system for its RZ that has no connection at all bolt-wise between it and the wheels – until 2025 should this delay pass. Making an historic leap with this concept, this carries the honour of being the first car to officially embark upon its use.
The exceptional power provided by the 48-volt system not only enables the operation of the steering, but also introduces enhanced delivery and efficiency. This consequently allows Tesla to decrease the number of copper cables employed by a fourth. This diminution in production costs can then be bestowed to the customers in the form of savings.
Reports have emerged that Tesla has a “Secret Accessories Team” dedicated to creating unique add-ons that are compatible with the Cybertruck’s 48-volt system. Tesla’s proprietary system is said to give them a major advantage over other automakers in terms of developing new features that take advantage of the higher voltage.
May other auto-makers act in response? It’s likely, yet the transition from a 12-volt infrastructure to 48-volts, even with Tesla’s advice in hand, won’t happen instantaneously. Primarily, these car producers will put hours of research and study into the manual, further look at means to improve it, start to test out different ideas, and then finally present a concept.
It is satisfying to witness Ford’s top executive handle the papers and express his gratitude to Tesla – however, it may take many years until we perceive these concepts being combined with an F-150 Lightning model.
