The development trend of intelligent new energy vehicle connectors

High voltage connectors play a crucial role in connecting high-voltage system units and transmitting energy in electric vehicles. Traditional cars rely on mechanical energy generated by the engine to drive, while electric cars rely on power batteries and motors to provide power. At present, the voltage for charging electric vehicles is mostly 400V, which is significantly different from the 12V or 24V voltage of traditional cars. Many system units in electric vehicles need to work under high voltage and high current conditions, such as batteries, motors, transformers, OBCs, PDUs, air conditioning compressors, heaters, and charging interfaces. High voltage connectors are needed to connect these system units. Compared to low-voltage connectors, high-voltage connectors require higher voltage, greater current carrying capacity, and electromagnetic shielding in terms of electrical performance.

High voltage connectors mainly consist of four parts: contactors, insulators, plastic shells, and accessories. The upgrade and replacement of high-voltage connectors revolve around the high-voltage interlocking function. With the development of new energy vehicles, high-voltage connectors have undergone several upgrades. From the perspective of connectors, the high-voltage connectors modified from industrial connectors are the first generation, and the high-voltage interlocking function has been applied since the second generation. The third-generation high-voltage connectors are characterized by plastic, shielding function, and high-voltage interlocking. The fourth generation high-voltage connector adds a second level unlocking function on the basis of the third generation.