Why a 12V battery? Here's why.

[oadesign]

It gets pretty deep in the weeds in explaining the technical details, but the simple answer is the need to disconnect high voltage, combined with the desire to use existing parts.
https://jalopnik.com/why-electric-cars-still-use-ordinary-12-volt-batteries-1847209291

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[bshaw]

It gets pretty deep in the weeds in explaining the technical details, but the simple answer is the need to disconnect high voltage, combined with the desire to use existing parts.
https://jalopnik.com/why-electric-cars-still-use-ordinary-12-volt-batteries-1847209291

Ford engineers worked really hard to hide the 12V battery on the MME, so most people will never even see theirs.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yes, control voltages need to be lower and safe to touch, and they need their own source of power in case there is a problem or accident where the HV pack needs to shut down. HV wires require special care, so HV everything would raise the costs significantly due to the required safety. It's really similar to how your 240V A/C unit runs off a low voltage thermostat that's safe to touch. The dual voltage system is here to stay though.

I'm a proponent of switching to a higher voltage base system though, like 24V or 36V because it would make the electrical system more efficient Just hard to get away from 12V because all the modules are designed to run off it. Switching to a lithium battery for the 12V would also be great instead of lead acid since it would be smaller and save weight. It would just cost a lot more to replace. That will probably show up in a few years.

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