In the world of electrified cars, we often talk about bigger batteries, record ranges and ever faster charging. These are important topics, of course, but they don’t tell the whole story behind them. In fact, more and more often the real leap forward it doesn’t come from an easily recognizable physical component, but from something much less conspicuous, hidden in the software and control logic of the vehicle.
It is precisely in this direction that Marelli is moving with the new Intelligent Energy Management technology, presented in Berlin during the CTI 2025 Symposium, an important event dedicated to the development of powertrains. An approach that shifts attention from the battery hardware to the “brain” that governs energy, and which tells a lot about how the way of designing hybrid and electric vehicles is changing.
The choice of Berlin is not random, as the German capital has long been one of the European landmarks for the comparison between manufacturers, suppliers and developers of automotive technologies, especially when it comes to electrification and software. In this context, Marelli has decided to show a solution that does not aim to amaze with special effects, but to convince with logic, efficiency and concreteness. Intelligent Energy Management was born as a response to an increasingly pressing question: how to manage energy in a truly intelligent way inside vehicles which are becoming more complex, more connected and more dependent on software. A question that concerns both fully electric models and hybrid and plug-in architectures, where the balance between combustion engine, electric motor and battery is anything but trivial.
The heart of technology: the digital twin concept
The idea behind the Marelli solution is only apparently simple. Instead of focusing solely on improving individual hardware components, the system works onoverall orchestration of the powertrainrelating every flow of energy available in the vehicle. Electric motor, battery, recovery systems, combustion engine in hybrid models, auxiliary loads: everything is observed, predicted and managed in a coordinated way. This is where the concept of comes into play digital twina digital copy of the real system that allows you to simulate behaviors, anticipate scenarios and optimize strategies before the vehicle is even put on the road.
It’s not just about control, but about prediction and continuous adaptation, a bit like having a navigator that doesn’t just indicate the road, but constantly recalculates the route based on traffic, driving style and external conditions. Digital twin is one of those terms that often seem abstract, but which in this case find a very concrete translation. In the Marelli system the digital twin allows engineers to replicate virtually the energy behavior of the vehicle, testing different configurations without having to build physical prototypes at each interaction.
This means drastically reducing development times and, at the same time, arriving at more refined and less conservative solutions. In practice it is possible understand in advance how the system will react to a certain power management strategy, a different battery sizing, or a specific software-defined architecture. A significant advantage in a sector where every month saved in development can make the difference between arriving first on the market or chasing the competition.
Software-defined vehicle: the ideal terrain
Marelli’s Intelligent Energy Management was born with vehicles in mind dependent on the on-board softwarethose in which the car’s behavior is not carved into the hardware but modeled by the software. In these increasingly widespread architectures, functions are updated, improved and adapted over time, often even after leaving the factory. The energy management system fits perfectly in this context, because it can evolve together with the vehicle. New optimization strategies, efficiency improvements or adaptations to different regulations can be implemented without upsetting existing hardware.
One of the most interesting aspects of Marelli technology is the way it addresses the issue of consumptionwhere instead of focusing everything on increasing the capacity of the battery (a choice that brings with it weight, costs and complexity), the system works on the more intelligent use of the energy already available. Through advanced control strategies, the powertrain is managed in a manner to avoid wastemaximize recovery and distribute energy where it is really needed. It is an approach that recalls that of a well-designed house: it is not enough to have a powerful boiler, you also need good insulation and intelligent heating management. The result is an improvement in overall efficiency without resorting to drastic or expensive hardware solutions.
In addition to the benefits on the final vehicle, Intelligent Energy Management also promises significant advantages during the design phase. Reduce the number of physical iterations, simplify systems integration and working on a flexible software platform means reducing development costs. For manufacturers this translates into more targeted investments and a greater ability to adapt to different markets and regulations. It is not a secondary detail, especially in a historical phase in which electrification requires huge economic resources and very careful planning, furthermore the possibility of testing and validating solutions in a virtual environment therefore becomes a precious, almost indispensable ally.
Another key point concerns integration with existing architecturesfor the simple reason that modern vehicles are extremely complex systems, made up of dozens of control units and millions of lines of code. Inserting new technology without creating conflicts or inefficiencies is often one of the biggest challenges for engineers. The Marelli system was designed precisely to reduce this complexity, communicating fluidly with software-defined platforms and adapting to different configurations. In other words, less sewing work and more space to focus on the overall performance and reliability of the vehicle.
Hybrid, plug-in and electric: a transversal solution
One of the most convincing aspects of Intelligent Energy Management is its versatilitygiven that it is not a technology designed only for one type of vehicle, but a platform adaptable to different architectures. In hybrid models it can optimize the dialogue between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, choosing the most efficient strategy each time. In plug-in hybrids becomes a fundamental tool to manage the transition between electric driving and combustion engine support. Finally, in fully electric vehicles, it allows you to make the most of every available kilowatt hour, improving autonomy and consistency of performance.
Marelli’s presentation also tells another story, less obvious but equally important, where it is highlighted that it is increasingly the large technological suppliers who dictate the pace of innovation in the automotive sector. Not just components, but actual software platforms that influence the way vehicles are conceived right from the early design stages. In this scenario Marelli positions itself as a strategic partner, capable of offering not only hardware but advanced digital skills. A role that becomes central as the car transforms into a complex system, where intelligence counts as much as mechanics.
Looking at the big picture, Intelligent Energy Management represents more than just a novelty technological, it is the signal of a change of perspective, in which the value lies not only in the capacity of the battery or the power of the electric motor, but in the ability to coordinate everything in a harmonious way. Software becomes the element that allows you to achieve more with less, reducing waste and increasing design flexibility. It’s a philosophy that will likely see ever-broader applications in the coming years as electrified vehicles become the norm, not the exception. And in this path, solutions like the one presented by Marelli could play a decisive role, even if far from the spotlight.
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