Technical 18 www.aftermarketonline.net NOVEMBER 2025 Intelligent connections shaping the future Jörg Weisgerber, MD of electronics at FORVIA HELLA, explains how the firm’s drive for innovation is transforming the future of software-defined vehicles International automotive supplier FORVIA HELLA has launched its intelligent power distribution module (iPDM) into series production for a premium worldwide manufacturer for the first time. The iPDM ensures a reliable, fail-operational power supply in the vehicle, is a key component for highly automated driving and is the first in the automotive sector to use so-called ‘eFuses’ — electronic fuses. With more than 25 years of experience and more than 13 million electronic control units manufactured annually, we are leading suppliers of body electronics. In the future, the development toward software-defined vehicles will fundamentally change the electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture of vehicles. To consistently address this new future-oriented area of business, we have significantly expanded our portfolio with iPDM and zone controllers — two new, forward-looking products for complex, intelligent control electronics, as well as eFuses as their key component. The iPDM continuously monitors the power supply in the vehicle using built-in eFuses and corresponding software. Potential failure risks, such as cable overheating, can be identified and rectified before they become critical. The basic functionality of safety-related driving functions in particular, such as driver assistance, steering, and braking systems, can be maintained at all times, fail operational. While iPDMs primarily secure the power supply, zone controllers, FORVIA HELLA’s second key product in the field of intelligent, complex control units, have a much wider range of applications in terms of the collection, processing and forwarding of data. In a connected network within the E/E architecture, zone controllers ensure that the electrical consumers in the respective vehicle zone receive the necessary energy and protect them from overload. Zone controllers also collect data from sensors in the vehicle in real time, process it, and use it to control actuators, such as for windows, lighting functions, or windshield wipers. For both iPDMs, which have now been launched, and zone controllers, which will go into series production for another well-known automotive manufacturer in mid-2028, eFuses are key components. While conventional fuses melt and become unusable in the event of a defect, eFuses are completely maintenancefree due to their reversible functionality. This means they do not need to be installed in the vehicle in a freely accessible location. As a result, the weight of the wiring harness can be reduced by up to 25% thanks to increased flexibility in the installation space and more precise fuses. FORVIA HELLA has consistently further developed its eFuses for zone controllers and future iPDM product generations. With its highly integrated intelligent, configurable and scalable (iConF) electronic fuse, FORVIA HELLA is the first auto supplier to combine an eFuse with a specially designed integrated circuit chip and intelligent control software. This further reduces the installation space, lowers component requirements, and enables intelligent data acquisition and processing. The iPDMs and zone controllers are developed at our headquarters in Germany and at technical centres in Romania and India. FORVIA HELLA’s iPDM
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