Since new energy vehicles are environmentally friendly, connectors also need to be environmentally friendly. Among them, the most important is safety, because the working voltage range is 400V~600V, and the working current range is 50A~300A or even higher. Considering that the operator will inevitably contact the engine compartment during the whole life cycle of the vehicle, it is obvious that high standards of electric shock protection are required. In addition, at such high power, electromagnetic interference is another important problem. In addition, the electric arc will be generated during the insertion of the connector, which will seriously damage the electrical connection and electronic equipment, and may cause the vehicle to burn. These all require special design and development of connectors.
With the emergence of large-capacity lithium batteries, it will lead to dangerous failure modes in some cases. This also puts fire risk on the homepage of the agenda. In addition, it is also necessary to consider how to reduce the weight and cost of batteries: on the one hand, increasing the mileage and capacity of electric vehicles means the weight of each component; On the other hand, because the new generation of electric vehicles is firmly positioned in the mass market, the economy also plays an extremely important role. The cost of battery alone may be as high as thousands of euros, so there is more pressure to reduce the cost of other configurations in the car.
New energy vehicle connectors mainly rely on strict design specifications to meet their high performance requirements. For example, to prevent high pressure from breaking through the air, it is necessary to maintain a certain air gap; Under high voltage and high current, the temperature rise shall not exceed the rated value; When selecting the housing material, the weight, strength and processing convenience should be considered, as well as how to maintain the stability of the connector terminals at different temperatures, and how to ensure the necessary conductivity.
In terms of connectivity, due to the continuous expansion of car entertainment systems, the importance of high-speed data transmission is increasingly prominent. For example, on some models, the camera is installed on the reversing mirror, which can give the driver a broader view, which requires the connector to transmit more data. Sometimes a connector is needed to solve the problem of transmitting GPS signals and broadcast signals, which requires improving its data transmission capability. At the same time, the connector also needs to withstand high temperature, because the car engine is usually placed in front of the car. Although it is protected by a firewall, there will be some heat transfer, so the connector should be able to withstand high temperature.
In addition, the stringent requirements for automotive connectors are also reflected in their service life. Generally, there are elastic elements in the connector, which will fail after being inserted for a certain number of times. The service life is generally about 3-5 years, and the vehicle can be used for 10-20 years. Therefore, the service life of automobile connectors must be the same as that of automobiles, and the requirements for connectors are quite high.