The Development History of High Voltage Connectors

The Development History of High Voltage Connectors

The development of high-voltage connectors for electric vehicles is synchronized with the development of electric vehicles. From the perspective of connectors, the development of domestic electric vehicle connectors has gone through the following generations.

1) The first generation of high-voltage connectors (Figure 1) began around 2008 and were mainly transformed from industrial connectors at that time. The main feature of this generation of products is the metal shell, which does not have high-voltage interlocking function and has poor anti misinsertion (anti fooling) effect. A more representative product is the Amphenol HV. Later, many connectors in the market were extended and expanded based on this type of product.

2) The second generation high-voltage connector (Figure 2) has added high-voltage interlocking function on top of the first generation, and the outer shell of the connector gradually changes from metal to plastic.

3) The third generation high-voltage connector (Figure 3)+shielding function+high-voltage interlocking high-voltage connector. Representative products in the industry are the 800 series products (which are achieved through operational sequences rather than direct mechanical structures), such as TE/Amphenol/Smart Green, a new generation of domestic products.

4) The fourth generation high-voltage connector (Figure 4)+shielding function+high-voltage interlocking+secondary unlocking high-voltage connector. Representatively, the 280 series products in the industry, such as TE/Smart Green and the new generation products in China, achieve secondary unlocking function through mechanical structure, which is safer.

5) The future generation of high-voltage connectors (Figure 5) will consider the cooling methods of the fourth generation products, such as high-power charging with liquid cooling and air cooling, effectively improving the transmission energy density, reducing quality, and improving the overall performance of the product.