This is an excerpt from D. Ladner, D. Huckaby, and S. Cravens, " 42V Converter," ECE 4522: Design II, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, Fall 2003:

Many people around the world commute using automobiles. Everyone wants a better vehicle with a lower cost. Therefore the automotive industry has been tasked with developing more economical and ecological automobiles. Two of the biggest concerns of the industry are to not just improve fuel consumption but also emissions and increase convenience and safety for customers. Replacing hydraulic and mechanical systems with electrical systems will produce an increase in the efficiency and safety in today.s automobiles. It will create efficiency, fuel savings, and reliability. As more electrical systems are added to the automobile, the electrical load will also be greatly increased. The average electrical load in the year 2010 will be eight kilowatts. Some of these electrical systems include the brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire, electromagnetic valve control, and integrated starter generators. With the increased load and the need for more power, the necessity for a higher supply voltage in the automobile is evident. Therefore a move in the next ten to fifteen years to the 42-volt electrical system will occur.