Often times we hear people refer to the basic electrical system of a car. Many times after that people ask, just what are the basic electrical components of today's automobile? Let's take some time and review just what makes up the electrical systems on our vehicles. This system is called upon every day to do more and more. About this basic system and its components, our sophisticated capabilities we have all come to love and depend on simply would not function. When defining any electrical system regardless of its use, the best place to start is with the source. In this case, it is the battery. Most vehicles today operate on a 12 volt DC system. In earlier years there were many six volt systems, but today 12 volt is the industry standard. Today's batteries are still predominantly the lead acid type battery. Some vehicles have a more premium battery called AGM. Hybrids and EVs use a combination of a lead acid battery for basic systems and a large bank of lithium ion batteries. Regardless of type, these batteries serve as the storage source for current in the vehicle. These do not produce power, but rather store the electricity for when it is needed. It seems obvious, but the next component is all the wire used to connect the system to all the required components in the vehicle. Today, stranded copper wire is used in varying sizes or gauges to transfer the current around the vehicle. On average, a car has about 5,000 feet of wire. Without this maze of wires, the vehicle simply could not operate. Since vehicles use or consume power on a fairly large basis, there has to be some way to regenerate this power. That is the job of the alternator. Interestingly, the alternator actually produces AC voltage. Within the alternator, there are a series of diodes that convert the AC voltage into the DC current required. Alternators have the ability to produce way more current than is needed to run the system or charge the battery. This is why all systems have a voltage regulator in the system. This is usually integrated into the alternator or mounted elsewhere under the hood. The regulator evaluates the battery state of charge constantly, and when required allows the alternator current to flow to the battery to replenish the supply of electricity. That pretty much does it on the supply side. What are some of the key users of this current? Well, probably the largest user would be the starter motor. This electric motor is used to crank the engine until it starts. Once the engine is running, the starter disengages and shuts off. Even though it only runs for a short period of time, it uses a large amount of current. Next in line is the ignition system. Without getting too deep, this group of parts delivers the spark at the exact moment required to ignite the fuel and sustain the running of the vehicle. Newer ignition systems rely more heavily on electronic components, where older style used a more mechanical means of getting the spark where and when it was needed. So if I sit to say, no ignition, no go. Those are the basics. They are the platform on which all other systems build on. Lighting, air conditioning, engine controls, braking systems, and all the rest rely on the basic electrical system. Thanks for watching.