TTI Europe’s industry marketing director transportation, Dermot Byrne, explains how connector innovation is accelerating to meet the demands of electric vehicles.
According to the ACEA, the production of battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles in Europe exceeded the production of combustion engine vehicles for the first time in 2024. This trend positively impacts the production of the relevant EV subsystems like inverters, electric motors, battery pack and power distribution units. Connector manufacturers are supporting this trend by developing new products that support the future design requirements of specific industry segments.
In the automotive market, suppliers like TE Connectivity and Aptiv are developing new connectors using flat blade contact systems rather than traditional circular contacts as they provide design flexibility. Popular products like the TE Connectivity CSJ Series can support both copper and aluminium cables and use either crimp or ultrasonically welded contacts depending on the required cable size. Connectors can support currents up to 400 A and are tested according to the LV214 / LV215 specifications required by European car manufacturers.
Furthermore, suppliers like Amphenol, TE Connectivity and Aptiv are offering CCS2 Inlets that will support current up to 500A DC which help reduce the charging time of BEV, whilst simultaneously replacing the DC inlet cable contacts with busbar contacts to facilitate easier routing and power dissipation within the vehicle.
In the commercial vehicles, agricultural and construction equipment markets, the primary challenge is finding connector systems that can support voltages up to 1500 V and currents above 500 A. Both Amphenol with its new CHD system and TE-ICT with its rugged Powertube product are helping customers that wish to use cable sizes from 95 to 150 mm² whilst Aptiv has recently introduced metal and plastic pass-through products that support these larger cable sizes. Aptiv is also releasing the new HV-Duty plastic connector series to give customers a rugged lighter alternative to the metal solutions already on the market.
Given the tough environmental conditions in which these products are used other innovative solutions emerging in the market include: sealed oil-proof connectors for use in electric motors and products with metal latching mechanisms to avoid issues with plastic latches breaking in rugged outdoor applications. Finally, given that larger vehicles require higher power charging solutions, both Amphenol and TE are starting to offer their first megawatt charging inlet products that will support currents up to 3000 A at a 1500 V rating.
A final design consideration is the high voltage cable assembly strategy. High voltage cables are challenging to assemble and require specialist crimping and testing equipment. Small volume OEMs will need to decide whether to build cables in-house, source via a local cable harness maker/distributor or if volumes will be sufficient for direct supply from the connector manufacturer. Finding the right local partner or distributor during the development phase can make sourcing a lot simpler when their vehicle is ready to go into full production. TTI’s local technical development managers can help customers identify the best solutions.
www.ttieurope.com
