2027 Ford electric truck replaces 12V with 48V zonal architecture

[Garbone]

My 21 MachE had its 12v dies about a year or two ago. One day I had to jump the drink with my Harley battery. Replaced it for a few hundred bucks, no oxed the fittings better than factory as it was showing mild corrosion.

My 22 is still going strong but I expect its 12v will die in the next 2 years.

My Fathom will have a 48v lfp cell that should last until 2037. I will worry about replacing it in 2037.

I spend most of a decade converting 48v lead acid battery strings (12v or 6v) jars to lfp. It is not a big deal as long as you design/modify the charge system correctly for the lfp. We are not using lightning whirlers running on a PTO and belts. Times are a changing.

 

[onuiebvbevnulib]

My 21 MachE had its 12v dies about a year or two ago. One day I had to jump the drink with my Harley battery. Replaced it for a few hundred bucks, no oxed the fittings better than factory as it was showing mild corrosion.

My 22 is still going strong but I expect its 12v will die in the next 2 years.

My Fathom will have a 48v lfp cell that should last until 2037. I will worry about replacing it in 2037.

I spend most of a decade converting 48v lead acid battery strings (12v or 6v) jars to lfp. It is not a big deal as long as you design/modify the charge system correctly for the lfp. We are not using lightning whirlers running on a PTO and belts. Times are a changing.

I had to look that up:

Operating a setup where "lightning whirlers" (typically referring to high-speed rotary cutters, weed whippers, or spinning agricultural components) are driven by a Tractor Power Take-Off (PTO) combined with a belt-drive system is a highly efficient way to manage high mechanical stress.

The mechanics of this configuration dictate exactly why it is engineered this way, along with crucial safety and maintenance practices:

Why Combine a PTO and Belts?

• Shock Absorption (The "Weak Point"): When a high-speed spinning whirler strikes a hard, hidden obstruction (like a rock or a stump), the kinetic energy has to go somewhere. Instead of shattering a rigid metal gearbox or snapping your tractor's internal PTO splines, the belts act as a natural clutch and slip under sudden load, saving your equipment from catastrophic damage.
• 
  
• Speed Multiplication: Standard tractor PTOs usually spin at a regulated 540 RPM or 1000 RPM. High-speed whirler blades often require much higher rotational speeds to cleanly cut or pulverize material. By running the PTO into a large drive pulley that connects via belts to smaller pulleys on the whirlers, you can effortlessly multiply the RPM.

 

[rileyfromford]

I'm rather curious whether Ford actually confirmed this. When I toured the EVDC facility earlier this year Ford would not confirm this. The way the article is written makes me think this is a speculation by the author. The electronic controls engineers inferred there might not be a 48v battery but were careful not to confirm this.

The 400v to 48v step down occurs in the eBox where charging control takes place.

Hey @rileyfromford: Has Ford confirmed there won't be a low voltage battery?

I don't believe we have shared information on this yet - so I can't speak to it. I'll ask the team and come back when I'm given the green light to do so.

 

[Garbone]

I don't believe we have shared information on this yet - so I can't speak to it. I'll ask the team and come back when I'm given the green light to do so.

Hmmm, interesting..

Oh, my 12v died this weekend on my 22. It made it approx 3 years and 11 months in the car before giving up the ghost.

 

[TNFurb]

Hmmm, interesting..

Oh, my 12v died this weekend on my 22. It made it approx 3 years and 11 months in the car before giving up the ghost.

I think mine is about to die on my 24 that I’ve had for roughly 33 months. It’s going into sleep mode pretty quickly. After only a day of not driving it.

 

[metroshot]

Hmmm, interesting..

Oh, my 12v died this weekend on my 22. It made it approx 3 years and 11 months in the car before giving up the ghost.

Thanks for reminding me!

I will need to order the H3 battery...

 

[jcva]

I’m hoping they offer a longer warranty tjan normal on this truck.

If you have a Ford Fleet Identification Number (FIN), many models including the Mach-E get a longer warranty. I think it's 5 years/100,000 miles.

 

[onuiebvbevnulib]

>> Is anyone going to actually answer my question?

If I understand your question correctly, you're worried about your vehicle dying while you're away. Gotcha. I did a quick Amazon search, and I saw a bunch of 48V trickle chargers. So if the Fathom does have a 48V battery, and if those trickle chargers are compatible, would that answer your question?

If it doesn't have a low voltage battery, then the issue would be the high voltage battery draining. That has actually happened on some BEVs. In that case, I assume just leaving it plugged into your home charger would resolve that problem?

In other words, it never goes low because it's never away from a trickle charge for a long time.

You can jump the Cybertruck that has 48v lithium battery with an external 12V+ power source.

I expect that if the Fathom also has a 48v lithium battery (and I hope it does) then I expect a similar procedure where you can jump start it with a 12v jump pack or jumper cables from a 12v battery.

You can jump-start a completely dead Tesla Cybertruck by connecting an external 12V+ power source to the emergency low-voltage terminals behind the front bumper or in the frunk area.

Jump-Starting a Dead Cybertruck
If your Cybertruck has a completely dead low-voltage battery and lacks power to even open the hood or screen, follow these steps outlined in the Tesla Cybertruck Owners Manual:

• Pop the Frunk Manually: Locate the hidden pull wires behind the left front bumper under a rubber cover to open the front trunk if the vehicle has no electrical power.
• Access the Terminals: Remove the protective maintenance panel inside the frunk to find the low-voltage jump posts.
• Connect Power: Attach a 12V external power supply or portable jump starter (using cables under 30 feet / 9 meters) to the positive (+) horizontal post near the brake fluid reservoir and the negative (-) vertical ground post.
• Power On: Turn on the external power supply to wake the touchscreen, allowing you to plug in and charge the vehicle's main and low-voltage batteries.

Important Limitations and Cautions

• Cannot Jump-Start Other Cars: The Cybertruck features a 48V low-voltage architecture and cannot be used to jump-start traditional 12V gas-powered vehicles; attempting to do so can damage the truck.
• Difficult Steering Warning: Steering may be unusually stiff and unresponsive while the vehicle is temporarily supported by an external low-voltage power supply during the jump procedure