As a "bridge" for power and signal transmission, the design of new energy vehicle connectors must strictly follow global unified standards and industry-specific norms. These rules not only ensure the stability and compatibility of products, but also serve as the entry threshold for enterprises to enter the international market.
I. International Standards: Building the Technical Foundation for Global Mutual Recognition
The IEC 60332 series standards formulated by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) clearly define the flame retardant grades and fire resistance performance requirements of connectors. For example, IEC 60332-1-2 stipulates that the connector materials need to pass the vertical burning test to ensure that they do not facilitate the spread of combustion in a high-temperature environment. The ISO 16750 series standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) focus on electrical load and environmental tolerance, requiring connectors to maintain contact reliability in a temperature cycle ranging from -40 ° C to 125 ° C and an environment with 95% humidity.
It is worth noting that ISO 13766 proposes the "anti-touch finger" design principle for vehicle-mounted high-voltage connectors, requiring that live terminals be completely shielded during the plugging and unplugging process to avoid the risk of electric shock to the human body. In addition, the AEC-Q101 standard of the Automotive Electronics Association (AEC) has passed rigorous verifications such as a 1,000-hour salt spray test and a 100,000-cycle plug-and-pull life test, ensuring that the connectors can adapt to complex road conditions and climates.
Ii. Domestic Regulations: Comply with the mandatory requirements of the local industry
The Chinese national standard GB/T 18487.1 regulates the conductive charging system of electric vehicles, requiring that the charging connectors have IP67-level dust and water resistance capabilities, and set up dual protection mechanisms of mechanical locking and electronic interlocking. For high-voltage connectors, GB/T 38031 mandatelly stipulates that the insulation resistance must be ≥1000Ω/V, and the withstand voltage test must withstand 50Hz, 1000V alternating current for 1 minute without breakdown.
At the industry standard level, the "Technical Conditions for High-Voltage Connectors for Electric Vehicles" of the Society of Automotive Engineers of China (SAE-China) further refines parameters such as insertion and extraction force and contact resistance: for example, for a connector with a rated current of 600A, the contact resistance should be ≤5mΩ, and the insertion and extraction life should be no less than 5,000 times. These indicators are directly linked to the mass production demands of domestic new energy vehicle manufacturers.
Iii. Industry-specific Norms: Adapting to the Demands of electrification and intelligence
With the popularization of 800V high-voltage platforms, connectors need to comply with new standards such as LV 123 and withstand continuous voltages above 800V and 2000V pulse surges. For high-frequency signal transmission, the connector design needs to meet the ISO 10605 electrostatic discharge protection requirements and adopt a shielded differential pair structure to suppress crosstalk below -40 dB, ensuring zero delay in data transmission of the ADAS system.
Under the trend of lightweighting, connectors need to balance strength and weight reduction. For example, when using magnesium alloy shells instead of traditional copper materials, it is necessary to comply with the ISO 20282-2 welding process standard to ensure that the tensile strength of the joint is ≥80MPa. As for the battery pack connector, the UL 2238 standard mandates that it have an overcurrent protection function, automatically cutting off the circuit within 0.1 seconds when the current is abnormal.
Iv. Compliance Certification: Full-process control from design to mass production
Enterprises need to obtain certifications from third-party institutions, such as TUV Rheinland's CE certification and UL's North American market access license. The certification process covers dimensions such as material flame retardancy, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (which needs to pass the EN 55022 Class B test), and mechanical vibration durability (conforming to ISO 16750-3). Some automakers have also added enterprise standards. For instance, Tesla requires that the fluctuation range of connector insertion and extraction force be controlled within ±10% to ensure the consistency of assembly on the automated production line.
