Why do cars operate on 12V?

Question

So why 12V and not 18V? What’s with the different levels for cordless tools 12/18/24.

In: 4

Answer 1

The oldest auto batteries used zinc-carbon which run at 1.5v. Cars thus used 6v to power electrical components. As cars started to pull more power this was upped to 12v. Modern passenger cars simply haven’t needed more voltage so 12 remains as the standard.