Fast Charging is rapidly becoming a mainstream charging technology due to cost savings, increased productivity, and safety. While Fast Charging of batteries is not a new technology (used in many handheld devices in the past), it really started to take off to reduce charging time of on-road electric vehicles.
Fast Chargers are different from conventional chargers in many ways. First off, the power rating can be 3-4 times the rating of a conventional charger often requiring the use of dual cables and connectors for charging rates in excess of 300A. In addition, Fast chargers incorporate advance controls that maximize the battery’s’ acceptance of the charge while monitoring the battery temperature rise to avoid overheating. In order to achieve this information transfer, you will need connectors that include auxiliary contacts.
The common two types of connectors used are the SBE® style and the Din 43589-1 style connectors. Both connector styles offer robust housings and contacts that will handle 5000 or more mating cycles. In addition, they offer four or more auxiliary contacts for applications such as battery monitoring. Both connector types are rated to EN1175:1998 and have attributes that make them the right choice depending on your application needs. Key attributes to consider when choosing one or the other are:
