FORVIA HELLA's 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Wins the 2026 Zhilu Award

• Integration of lithium-ion cells and a low-voltage battery management system in one product
• Flexible integration in the vehicle and weight savings of around 20%
• Order volume in the low to mid three-digit million euro range; start of series production in China planned for summer 2027

Shanghai, 24 August 2026. International automotive supplier International automotive supplier FORVIA HELLA has been presented with the Gold Award in the Battery Category for its 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack at the 2026 (4th) Zhilu Award, presented by Auto Observer, one of China's leading automotive media outlets. The Zhilu Award is organised by Auto Observer and Zhilu Space, under the guidance of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade – Automotive Committee (CCPIT Auto) and the China Automotive Chip Industry Innovation Strategic Alliance. It is one of the most influential and prestigious technology awards in China's automotive industry, recognising automotive component and system innovations that demonstrate forward-looking vision, advanced technology and strong market potential.

"Winning the Zhilu Award is a recognition by the industry of FORVIA HELLA's technological strength and innovative capability in low-voltage energy management”, says Hengjie Ye, Director of Product Center Energy Management in the Business Group Electronics at FORVIA HELLA China. "As vehicles become increasingly electrified and software-defined, automotive manufacturers require low-voltage energy storage solutions that combine safety, efficiency and scalability. Our 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack addresses these requirements through its compact design, reduced weight and intelligent battery management capabilities. The award not only recognises the technological expertise behind the product, but also confirms its relevance for future vehicle architectures."

The award-winning 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack integrates lithium-ion cells and the low-voltage battery management system into a single subsystem, reducing the required installation space and simplifying system interfaces. This enables flexible and straightforward integration into different vehicle architectures. Compared to conventional lead-acid batteries, the product reduces weight by around 20%, lowering system complexity while further enhancing the safety and reliability of the vehicle's energy supply. To ensure safe and reliable operation, FORVIA HELLA's 12-volt battery pack uses state-of-the-art multidimensional algorithms that precisely measure current, voltage, temperature and other key parameters. This enables highly accurate determination of both the state of charge (SoC) and the state of health (SoH) across the entire battery lifetime. Together with FORVIA HELLA's own high-voltage DC/DC converter, the system enables a redundant power supply for safety-relevant functions up to ASIL D. Under normal operating conditions, the high-voltage DC/DC converter supplies the 12-volt loads as the primary source. If the high-voltage on-board network fails, the 12-volt battery pack takes over immediately, ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

FORVIA HELLA has already secured series production orders for the 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack from multiple international as well as local automotive manufacturers, with an order volume in the low to mid three-digit million-euro range. The start of series production is planned for China in summer 2027. This recognition further underlines the product's core competitiveness, driven by both technological innovation and proven market traction.