Patent ID: 7400059

Claim:
An electrical system for a vehicle, comprising: a first power source generating a first voltage level, the first power source being in electrical communication with a first bus; a second power source generating a second voltage level greater than the first voltage level, the second power source being in electrical communication with a second bus; a starter generator configured to provide power to at least one of the first bus and the second bus; at least one additional power source configured to provide power to at least one of the first bus and the second bus; at least one power consumer in electrical communication with the first bus; at least one power consumer in electrical communication with the second bus; and a mode selector having at least a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein the first bus is partitioned into at least a first sub-bus and a second sub-bus, and wherein neither the first sub-bus nor the second sub-bus is energized when the mode selector is in the first position, only the first sub-bus is energized when the mode selector is in the second position, and both the first sub-bus and the second sub-bus are energized when the mode selector is in the third position.