LAS VEGAS—Low-voltage battery technology provider Clarios is providing its advanced 12V and 48V supercapacitors to what it called a major automotive manufacturer in the coming years. According to Clarios leaders, the technology will assist with autonomous and electric vehicle operations.
This contract marks a milestone for Clarios and its technology, company leaders said during a presentation at the Fosgard House of Journalists before the start of CES 2025, the largest consumer technology exhibition in North America, begins this week. Clarios, through its various brands, is the world's largest vehicle battery technology provider, with products in nearly every type of vehicle and in 1 out of 3 cars on the road today, according to the company.
Federico Morales-Zimmermann, Clarios VP and GM of global OEM customers, products, and engineering, said 2025 will be a busy year for the global battery leader.
See also: Clarios lays out how low-voltage truck batteries will be more powerful
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“From a technical and technology perspective, the name of the game is going to be flexibility,” he said on January 5. “Being flexible to have, let’s say, a product portfolio. They can be applied to different propulsion architectures. They can be applied to different electronic architectures that can be equal. They can also scale, let's say, into different areas where the customers are going to be.”
While Morales-Zimmermann declined to reveal this week the OEM it is providing its advanced battery technology to, he stressed the importance of low-voltage battery technology in the future of transportation.
The Clarios supercapacitors are designed to store and dispense bursts of high power, which, for functions such as steer-by-wire, add minimal weight to vehicles. This enhanced system solution delivers on-demand power in any application, which is critical for advanced safety features, and provides that short burst of power in chassis systems, which can keep the vehicle level at high speeds around a turn, for example.
“Reducing weights on trucks is a big topic,” Morales-Zimmermann noted. “Reducing every kilogram on the truck gives you other flexibilities and add-ons you can trade with.”
Along with light-weighting, the batteries create more safety technology opportunities. The supercapacitors are complementary to absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries in vehicle applications and to the overall system architecture to provide power stabilization, fuel efficiency improvements through regenerative braking, and safety redundancies.
“We recognize the crucial role we play in helping automotive manufacturers achieve their growing power, safety, and sustainability targets," Morales-Zimmermann said. "Our supercapacitors offer a reliable and efficient solution to address these increasing demands in modern and software-defined vehicles.”
The agreement with the unnamed OEM takes the industry another step toward a sustainable and innovative future in mobility, Morales-Zimmermann suggested.
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Josh Fisher
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Editor-in-Chief Josh Fisher has been with FleetOwner since 2017. He covers everything from modern fleet management to operational efficiency, artificial intelligence, autonomous trucking, alternative fuels and powertrains, regulations, and emerging transportation technology. Based in Maryland, he writes the Lane Shift Ahead column about the changing North American transportation landscape.