Automotive electrification key driver in wire harness development

Wire harnesses are designed for a range of applications, from household appliances, electronics, telecom products and vehicles to the fields of medicine, construction and aerospace. While their biggest market is the automotive industry, the R&D spotlight today is not on the dominant fuel-powered segment but on the popular green electric and hybrid alternatives.

Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and other EVs worldwide were expected to reach 2.5 million in 2020, according to IHS Markit's December 2020 forecast. The same report projects a surge of about 70 percent in 2021 and global sales of more than 12.2 million in 2025.

Analysts at the International Energy Agency attribute this growth, despite lowered expectations due to the pandemic, to existing policy support and targeted stimulus responses.

With greater opportunities ahead, manufacturers of wire harnesses, including those in China, are pursuing the development of robust interconnects compliant with the requirements of HEVs and EVs.

One key specification is high voltage. Unlike conventional engines that run on gasoline or diesel fuel, these new-generation vehicles depend entirely on electric motors that need a constant supply of power. Their drivetrains consist of a high-voltage battery, inverters and motors.

Weight is another key factor. For better efficiency, vehicles have to be light despite the greater number of onboard devices and equipment. This means using fewer components, to avoid an unnecessary burden that will jack up power consumption.

Elon Musk was widely reported to have said that there were about three kilometers of wire harnesses in the Tesla Model S, which were reduced to half that length in the Model 3. He has also been quoted about decreasing this further to 100 meters, though this did not materialize in the Model Y. Nonetheless, it may eventually emerge in future EV releases, engendering development efforts toward shorter wiring systems.

In the meantime, Chinese suppliers looking to cash in on the vehicle electrification trend will work on improving their ability to customize products. The automotive industry, in particular, has a preference for custom-made components and parts.

These companies will be focusing on a new compression technique for high-voltage wire harnesses to increase competitiveness in the EV and HEV market in the coming years. This will require investment in up-to-date machinery because unlike standard crimping tools inmanufacturing conventional wiring looms, those for EVs are made using hydraulic equipment. Better-grade materials are also needed.

Based on projections by the Qianzhan Research Institute, China's market for high-voltage wire harnesses will grow to $2.67 billion in 2025 from $820 million in 2020.

In addition to EVs and HEVs, the wire harness sector will benefit from the rollout of new products as 5G deployment continues, which in turn will boost the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. There will be 25.1 billion IoT devices by 2025, according to GSM Association. For these applications, lightweight and integrated wiring systems will be the norm.

Sustained demand rise

China's wire harness sector is expected to reach $57 billion in 2021 at a CAGR of 6.24 percent from 2016 to 2021, according to Sohu News. At this scale, it represents nearly 40 percent of the global market.

The automotive industry accounts for the bulk of shipments, a trend forecast to continue over the next several years with the anticipated demand spike from the EV segment.

By 2025, Qianzhan Research Institute says wire harnesses for traditional fuel-powered vehicles will slide to $13.92 billion from $14.88 billion in 2020, while an increase is in store for the EV-use counterparts. The projection for the latter is $5.39 billion from $1.64 billion during the same period.

Based on interviews conducted by Global Sources Electronic Components, Chinese manufacturers are looking forward to a 5 to 10 percent rise in demand in the months ahead and have plans to bolster production accordingly.

China's supplier pool for this product category includes industry giants such as Delphi, Leoni, Yazaki and Sumitomo. The majority of the Chinese companies are locally owned and offer other types of wires and cables. Wire harnesses make up between 20 and 80 percent of their output.

Over half of manufacturers are in the major cities in the Pearl River Delta region, which include Shenzhen, Dongguan and Xiamen. The others are in Suzhou, Kunshan, Ningbo and Changzhou. A number are in the provinces of Jilin, Shandong and Hebei.

Some foreign companies operate factories in different locations in China to be near their customers. Leoni of Germany, for instance, has production facilities in Shanghai, and Jiangsu, Shandong and Liaoning provinces.

Customization options

Chinese suppliers offer wire harnesses for automotive, communications, security, medical and military applications, which comply with relevant standards such as CE, CSA, cUL, UL, VDE and RoHS.

Most highlight their flexibility to custom specifications, accommodating not only requestsfor specific materials but also their sources.

Copper, bronze, nickel, PVC, PE, nylon 6 and 66, PP, PBT and ABS are generally obtained from domestic or foreign providers.

Connectors and terminals may be from key international companies, including JST, Tyco, Leoni, Molex, Hirose, Delphi and Lemo. Some manufacturers present as options their in-house produced and locally sourced components and parts.

To stay competitive, the majority of Chinese suppliers will continue to let customization drive product development. As such, Zhejiang Tongsheng Electronic Co. Ltd, whose shipments are more than 90 percent made to order, says small batch customization will remain a manufacturing trend.

Wire harness with 2.54mm-pitch connectors

The 5P Housing To 5P wire harness from Dongguan Hundu Electronic Co. Ltd uses a UL 2725 28AWGx1P+28AWGx2C USB 2.0 cable with an aluminum foil and braid shielding, drain wire and black PVC jacket. Outer cable diameter is 4±0.15mm. The P1 5-pin connector has a 2.54mm pitch and a tin-plated phosphor bronze fitting terminal for 22 to 28AWG wires. The P2 connector has the same specifications but has a brass fitting terminal.

This RoHS-compliant unit has 200Mohm minimum insulation resistance at 500VDC and 250VAC withstand voltage at 0.5mA, 1min.

A minimum order of 100 units is for delivery within 10 days.

Inquire now

ISO wire harness

The 12-0379 wire harness offered by Hangzhou Onteck Electronics Co. Ltd follows the ISO standard on primary wire abrasion and pinch resistance. It is compatible with Volkswagen and Audi vehicles.

An order of at least 100 units has a delivery lead time of 10 days.

Inquire now

Wire harness with water-resistant connectors

Juscom Inc.'s 1160-249 wire harness has water-resistant connectors. The unit meets RoHS, IPC Class 2 and German-class crimping requirements.

Order quantity is negotiable. Delivery is within seven days.

Inquire now

Wire harness for car audio

For car audio, this TS123456 wire harness from Zhejiang Tongsheng Electronic Co. Ltd comes in custom lengths.

The minimum order quantity is 500 units. Delivery takes seven days.

Inquire now