Sensata Technologies has announced the launch of its High Efficiency Contactor (HEC), a breakthrough innovation designed to simplify the transition from 400V to 800V electric vehicle (EV) architectures. The HEC enables seamless compatibility with both legacy and next-generation charging infrastructure while delivering superior safety, efficiency, and simplified system integration.
As the EV industry accelerates toward 800V systems for faster charging and improved efficiency, compatibility with the existing 400V charging infrastructure remains a critical challenge. Sensata’s HEC addresses this by enabling battery reconfiguration between 400V and 800V.
In addition to standard 400V/800V switching, the HEC uniquely supports independent access to either of the two 400V battery packs, enabling critical functions like battery balancing and limp-home mode. This capability addresses key challenges in modern 800V EVs, such as pack imbalance due to aging or uneven usage and loss of drive capability if one pack fails. By allowing selective isolation of each pack, the HEC helps extend battery life, improves reliability, and reduces the risk of stranding in critical situations.
The HEC integrates three high-voltage contactor poles into a patent-pending design featuring mechanically synchronized contacts, providing an inherently safe and highly efficient switching mechanism. The design removes the risk of short circuits that can occur in traditional battery switching systems with multiple contactors, which may be caused by software errors, welded contacts, or mechanical shocks, resulting in best-in-class safety and reliability. Energy loss and heat generation are negligible due to its bi-stable design and ultra-low contact resistance (<50 μΩ).
Key benefits of Sensata’s High Efficiency Contactor include:
- Flexible Configuration: Supports standard battery configurations (Series-800V, Parallel-400V, Open-Isolated) and single-pack selection (A-only / B-only) for battery balancing and limp-home modes.
- Inherently Safe: Unique mechanical design prevents incorrect switching, eliminating short-circuit risk.
- Robust Performance: Withstands short-circuit events up to 25 kA and mechanical shocks over 90 g.
- Compact & Lightweight: Reduces system component count by over 50%; no extra cooling or special equipment required.
- High Efficiency: Bi-stable design requires no holding power; extremely low contact resistance (less than 50 µΩ) minimizes energy loss and heat generation.
Engineered for high-performance and safety-critical applications, the HEC supports continuous currents over 1000 A. Real-time diagnostics are enabled through an integrated ASIL-D compliant position sensor. Beyond 400V/800V battery reconfiguration, Sensata’s HEC is also compatible with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems, Megawatt (MW) charging, and the North American Charging Standard (NACS/J3400), making it a versatile solution for modern EV and energy ecosystems.
“The launch of the HEC reflects Sensata’s commitment to solving real-world electrification challenges with innovative, efficient solutions. Our HECs power safer, more efficient vehicles with seamless charging, making EVs more practical and accelerating the adoption of next-generation platforms.”
– Brian Wilkie, EVP, Vehicle Business at Sensata Technologies.
