Bosch and Chery Sign Mass Production Deal for 48V Vehicle Architecture to Advance Electrification

On April 24, 2025, Bosch (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. signed a framework agreement in Beijing for the joint development and mass production of a 48V vehicle architecture. The two companies will drive the first mass production of the next-generation 48V vehicle architecture in China. As intelligent vehicles increasingly demand high-power components such as onboard computing, smart cockpits, and by-wire chassis systems, traditional 12V electrical architectures are approaching their power output limits. The industry is thus shifting toward the more capable 48V electrical architecture. This collaboration focuses on redefining the foundational electrical architecture of intelligent vehicles. The jointly developed 48V system features high power output, lightweight design, high integration, high reliability, and high scalability: it boosts total vehicle power supply to 15 kW, reduces system weight by over 10 kilograms, improves steering motor response speed of the by-wire chassis by more than 20%, and incorporates an independent redundant power supply design to ensure stable operation of critical systems—including autonomous driving, braking, and steering—even under extreme conditions. In the future, this architecture could also be extended to emerging fields such as robotics. The partnership between the two companies has spanned 25 years. In October 2024, Bosch and Chery signed a memorandum of understanding on 48V low-voltage systems and established a joint pre-research team. After 18 months of intensive development, they have achieved three key milestones: completion of the full-vehicle system and functional prototype development, development of key component prototypes, and preliminary research on industrialization pathways—laying a solid foundation for mass production. The technology is scheduled to debut on flagship models of Chery’s premium brand, Exeed. The signing ceremony was attended by senior executives from both sides, including Yin Tongyue, Chairman of Chery Automobile; Gao Xin Hua and Qi Shilong, Executive Vice Presidents; and Wang Ting and Xie Baojun, Vice Presidents. Representing Bosch were Dr. Stefan Hartung, Chairman of the Bosch Group Board of Management; Dr. Markus Heyn, Chairman of Bosch Mobility; Andreas Dempf, Sales Vice President; Xu Daquan, President of Bosch China; Wang Weiliang, President of the Bosch Mobility China Board; Zhang Ying, Executive Vice President; and Mao Taixiang, Vice President.