FORVIA HELLA launches its first 12-volt Lithium-Ion battery pack

• 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 percent
• Start of series production in China planned for summer 2027
• Order volume in the low to mid three-digit million euro range

Lippstadt, 2 July 2026. International automotive supplier FORVIA HELLA is launching its first fully integrated 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack. It addresses the increasing demand for a reliable and intelligent low-voltage power supply in electric and hybrid vehicles. By integrating lithium-ion cells and the battery management system, the battery pack reduces both weight and system complexity while also increasing the safety and reliability of the vehicle’s energy supply. FORVIA HELLA has already received series orders for the 12-volt battery pack in the low to mid three-digit million euro range from various international automotive manufacturers. The start of series production is expected to take place in China in summer of next year.

“Launching our 12-volt battery pack not only expands our product portfolio for electromobility. Above all, it also reflects our clear strategic direction. We do not only deliver high-performance key components, we are also a provider of integrated system solutions in energy management, building on our decades of experience in battery electronics,” says Sebastian Keils, Head of Global Product Center Energy Management in the Electronics business group at FORVIA HELLA. “Our first 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack underlines our ambition to stand by automotive manufacturers as a close partner on their path toward electromobility, with products that create real added value through intelligent energy management and close coordination between high-voltage and low-voltage systems. In this way, we help our customers build more efficient, safer and more reliable energy architectures for their vehicles.”

A reliable, stable 12-volt power supply is also a key prerequisite in electric and hybrid vehicles. On the one hand, numerous safety- and comfort-relevant 12-volt loads are used even in electric cars, for example driver assistance systems and infotainment systems. On the other hand, the 12-volt on-board network serves as a redundant power supply in case the energy supply from the high-voltage on-board network fails, so that functions such as steering and braking remain operational.

To ensure the safe and reliable operation of lithium-ion batteries, FORVIA HELLA’s 12-volt battery pack uses state-of-the-art multidimensional algorithms that precisely measure current, voltage, temperature and other parameters. This enables highly accurate determination of both the state of charge (SoC) and the state of health (SoH), even under demanding real-world conditions and across the entire battery lifetime. Integrating lithium-ion cells and the battery management system into one subsystem also reduces the required installation space and simplifies system interfaces. This enables simpler and more flexible integration into the vehicle architecture. In addition, the 12-volt battery pack is around 20 percent lighter than conventional lead-acid batteries.

Together with a high-voltage DC-DC converter, which FORVIA HELLA also contributes, the 12-volt battery pack enables a redundant power supply for safety-relevant functions up to ASIL D. The high-voltage DC-DC converter initially supplies the 12-volt loads as the primary source from the high-voltage on-board network. If the high-voltage on-board network fails, the 12-volt battery pack takes over and ensures uninterrupted power supply. Sebastian Keils: “As we have both key products in our portfolio and can supply them to our customers from a single source, we also support our customers with comprehensive system understanding. This enables manufacturers to implement robust architectures and to ensure a stable energy supply for safety-critical functions through a complete solution at the overall system level.”