EV charging cable assembly R&D continues

EV charging cable assemblies with a higher current capacity that enables fast charging will lead next releases.

Counting on increasing demand as the electric vehicle or EV industry grows, makers of charging cable assemblies sustain initiatives to upgrade their selections. They focus on meeting the trend for fast charging and plan to add models that can deliver larger current safely.

Suppliers will introduce more 32A units in the AC category and target up to 250A in the DC segment. The maximum in widely offered products are 20 and 200A, respectively.

To address the heat issue at higher amperage, some manufacturers are taking extra measures through active solutions. Sichuan Yonggui Science and Technology Co. Ltd has built into its models a temperature control module to prevent overheating and ensure safety during operation.

The majority of China makers are confident the line will remain in an upturn despite the rising popularity of wireless charging. They say the latter technology will still be limited to the high-end EV segment.

Buoying the overall outlook is the robust local EV market. Based on estimates, 7 million units will be sold in China in 2025, according to Sina News. This is 20 percent of the domestic automotive industry's total sales volume, a significant increase from 4 percent estimated in 2019. By the end of the period, China will have overtaken top-ranked Europe globally in this sector when its share reaches 32 percent.

This boom in the EV line will bolster demand for charging cable assemblies. As early as the next one or two years, China suppliers are already anticipating shipments will grow annually by more than 30 percent.

Shenzhen Southking Technology Co. Ltd raised yield by 50 percent in 2018 and will continue at this rate through 2020, having upgraded its production lines. It exports all output to Europe, North and South America, and Russia.

There are at least 300 makers of EV charging cable assemblies in China, including foreign-invested businesses. The major local companies include Shenzhen Busbar, Suzhou Dostar, Changzhou Fisher and Guangzhou Zeesung.

The category represents between 5 and 30 percent of shipments at present. Most suppliers, however, assure they can meet any increase in demand.

Guangdong province is the manufacturing hub for the line, with a great number of companies based in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhongshan. Others are in the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

More domestic and international players are expected to join China's pool and set up factories in these coastal areas.

AC & DC types

Makers of EV charging cable assemblies in China offer AC and DC kinds for use with home chargers or those in commercial or public premises.

AC units have a rated voltage of 220 or 380VAC and rated current of 10, 13, 16 or 20A, while their DC counterparts have maximum ratings of 600VDC and 200A.

The variations by plug standard are combined charging system or CCS, CHAdeMO and GBT. The first is mainly used in the US and Europe, the second in Japan and the last in China. Based on the number of pins, AC plugs have seven and DC types five.

To enable access to charging stations in various locations, some suppliers bundle removable plugs. Shenzhen Southking's SK-EV16/EV32 model comes with US, Europe and China ends. It includes an LED display with readouts of temperature, charging time and current for easy monitoring. The rated current is 16A, although there are versions with 10, 13, 20 or 32A. The unit with rated power reaching up to 4,400W supports fast charging.

Typical releases adopt plugs with silver-plated contacts and thermoplastic insulators, and cables with bare-copper conductors, and thermoplastic insulation and jacket.

Products are flame-retardant, and can withstand high and low temperatures, abrasion, UV radiation, chemicals and solvents. Water resistance ratings range from IP55 to IP68.

Companies follow international and national industry standards such as CE, CSA, GB/T 20234.2-2011, IEC 62196, RoHS, SAE J1772, TÜV and UL.

Most manufacturers turn to local providers of copper, silver, gold and thermoplastic, sourcing from foreign companies on request only.

The cost of these materials has not changed much, resulting in stable product prices. The same trend is expected in the months ahead. Due to stiff competition, however, a few makers have been offering lower quotes to boost orders.

Wireless charging is next trend

Wireless charging will expand in the EV field globally in coming years. Its market in green vehicles is projected to have a total scale of $407 million by 2025, according to Research and Markets, and achieve a CAGR of nearly 118 percent between 2020 and 2025.

There are China companies that have been engaged in research and production for a few years now. One of them is Invispower, which has introduced a wireless EV charging system with 3 to 30kW power and up to 95 percent efficiency. The product has 220V, less than 42A input and 50 to 420VDC, 25A output. It supports remote monitoring through a mobile app. The IP67-rated system requires a 560x400x90mm ground power supply and a 260x230x80mm vehicle power supply. It is used in EVs produced by the GAC Group.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in EV charging cable assemblies from China makers.

IP65-rated EV charging cable assembly

The model Ace0701-1 EV charging cable assembly from Aceharness Ltd has 250VAC and 16, 32 or 63A rating. It adopts a glass fiber-reinforced PC shell, 20 percent glass fiber-reinforced PBT core and copper alloy contact pins. The IP65-rated unit resists oil, rust and UV radiation, and operates in -30 to 50 C. It meets IEC 62196-2 2010.

Order quantity is negotiable. Delivery lead time is 15 days.

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EV charging cable assembly is rated at 16A

Shenzhen Southking Technology Co. Ltd's model SK-EV16/EV32 EV charging cable assembly has 85 to 265VAC rated input and output voltage, 16A rated current and up to 4,400W rated power at 16A. The IP55-rated unit has 0.5mohm maximum contact resistance, and more than 1,000Mohm insulation resistance at 500VDC. It is also available in 10, 13, 20 and 32A variants. Plugs may be in US, EU or CN standard.

An order of 1 unit is accepted for delivery within 15 days.

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EV charging cable assembly withstands 2,000V

This IP55-rated EV charging cable assembly from Shenzhen Y-Create Wire and Cable Co. Ltd, QC0762 model, has 240VAC rated voltage, 16 or 32A current and 2,000V withstand voltage. The unit has more than 1,000Mohm insulation resistance. The operating temperature is -30 to 50 C and the temperature rise of terminals is less than 50 K. The unit comes in 5m or custom length. It meets IEC 62196-2/SAE J1772, TÜV and UL.

The supplier requires a minimum order of 500 units for delivery within 14 days.

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750 or 1,000VDC EV charging cable assembly

Rated at 750 or 1,000VDC, 50Hz, 80, 125, 200 or 250A, Sichuan Yonggui Science and Technology Co. Ltd's model YG762 EV charging cable assembly has ≤3mohm contact resistance and ≥2,500Mohm insulation resistance. The withstand voltage is 4,500VDC/min at 50Hz with no breakdown and flashover. The IP55-rated unit operates in -40 to 105 C. It complies with GB/T 20234-2015.

An order of at least 5 units has a delivery lead time of 15 days.

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