Electric Vehicles Drive High-voltage Connectors Category

High-voltage connectors are designed for applications with an operating voltage exceeding 1,000VAC or 1,500VDC. They are mainly used in industrial equipment and electric vehicles, with the latter now accounting for the majority of shipments of these connectors.

EVs have a typical voltage of more than 300V and current of 200A, and require robust components that can handle these parameters and ensure their normal, reliable and safe operation. With developments in fast charging, the rated voltage has gone up to 400 to 800V, upping the ante further for connectors.

Keeping up with higher electrical as well as mechanical and environmental performance standards in EVs, manufacturers of high-voltage connectors in China are releasing products specifically for EVs and hybrid electric vehicles.

Jiangsu Zhilv has the HVC800 Series with 1,000V rated voltage, 200 to 250A rated current for 50sqmm cables, 150 to 180A for 35sqmm or 120 to 130A for 25sqmm, and 3,000VAC/min withstand voltage. These connectors have an IP67, IP6k9k or IP2XB rating, UL94V-0-rated plastic parts and an operating temperature of -40 to 125 C.

Zhengzhou Saichuan Electronic Technology Co. Ltd’s patented SS1 Series has a secondary locking feature for enhanced reliability and safety, supports crimping and threading and is designed to avoid key position errors. For tool-free installation, these connectors also provide a 360-degree rotating blind mating option. They are available in 60 to 120A, 120 to 200A and 250 to 400A variants, all with an IP67 rating.

The RQAII Series for EVs from Suzhou Recodeal, meanwhile, has an IPXXB design that protects from accidental contact with fingers, locking systems, two mechanisms that prevent misinsertions and an IP6K9K or IP68 rating. It has a rated voltage of 1,000VDC and an operating temperature of -40 to 140 C. Options in terms of rated current are 300, 350 and 400A.

Surging market

Globally, demand high-voltage connectors will continue to trend upward, driving by EV sales. Up to 18 million EVs will be sold by 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, and likely hit 30 million in 2030. The IEA reports that newly registered EVs stood at 3 million in 2020, a 41 percent jump year on year, which brought the worldwide EV parc to over 10 million units by the end of that year.

China and Europe are the top two markets, posting the highest CAGR – more than 50 percent – in the past few years. In 2021, China’s car parc in the EV category reached 7.8 million units, making it the largest single EV market.

The impact of EVs on the overall automotive connectors sector can also be gleaned from industry forecasts. Bishop & Associates projects the sector at $19.452 billion by 2025. Of this, 23 percent is expected to come from China’s expected market share of $4.468 billion. The country’s high-voltage connectors for EVs reached $1.58 billion in 2021, rising by 144.5 percent year on year, according to market research firm LM Info Consulting. This rose a further 40.4 percent in the first half of 2022 over the same period in the previous year, with rapid growth highly likely in the months ahead and through 2024.

China’s HV connectors base

There are about 300 manufacturers of high-voltage connectors in China, more than 80 percent of them domestically owned. Foreign companies operating in China are mostly from the US, Japan and Germany and include major industry players such as TE, Molex, Amphenol, Aptiv, Sumitomo and Yazaki. In recent years, homegrown suppliers, including Jonhon, Yonggui, Luxshare, Recodeal and Laimu, have also earned their spots in the global market.

Most domestic companies export 30 to 90 percent of their output, mainly to Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. They have also been shipping products to the Middle East and South America.

The key cities where many suppliers gather include Suzhou, Changzhou, Yueqing, Ningbo, Shenzhen and Dongguan. There are also companies operating in Sichuan in the north-central province of Shaanxi. These locations, with their comprehensive infrastructure, labor market and industry chains, will continue to draw entrants to the category in the coming years.

60 to 1,500V-rated connectors

High-voltage connectors from Chinese companies are male and female types with plastic or metal shells. They come in a range of specifications such as 60 to 1,500V rated voltage and 20 to 300A rated current. Typical operating temperature is -40 to 140 C.

All China-made connectors are subjected to various mechanical, electrical and temperature tests, such as pull and push force, drop, 960H salt spray or fog, 1008H 125 C aging, -40 to 125 C cold and hot checks, to ensure high quality and reliability. Generally, these have an IP67 rating.

Products based on custom specifications are also produced and make up 30 to 60 percent of shipments.

Most Chinese suppliers offer entry-level and midrange HV connectors, but plan to upgrade their selections with more midrange and high-end units in the coming years to boost competitiveness.

Materials used in the production of HV connectors come from domestic or foreign sources, depending on buyers’ requests. So far, their costs have not changed much in the past 12 months and will likely stay stable throughout 2023.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in high-voltage connectors from Chinese suppliers.