Staubli has launched a connector for battery packs that supports voltages up to 1000 V for onboard chargers in commercial EVs (writes Nick Flaherty).

The PerforMore connector supports 400 A at 1000 V and has a mechanism to allow safe disconnection at that voltage.

The goal was to get the most power out of the smallest package. “The connector uses a 10 mm MultiLAM contact, but rather than the standard round format we’ve gone with a crosshole,” said Winnijar Kauz at Staubli. “The number of contact points per the contact diameter is known, and how much current each contact point can carry defines the contact.”

At 1000 V and 400 A the EMI shielding of the contact is key. “Having connection points on the shielding to the customer housing was crucial, so we’ve provided more connection points to give higher efficiencies. The average is five or six per pole; we have 30.”

A lever mechanism creates a time interval between disconnection of a high-voltage interloop (HVIL) and the main connection. The HVIL consists of two small contacts that disconnect during the unlocking, and they are usually monitored by a device in the vehicle so the vehicle system sees that the connectors are closed.

“You start by opening the lever and then reach a blocking point,” Kauz said. “The HVIL contacts are disconnected, and that sends a signal to the controller. The operator then has to press a mechanical button to open the connector further, and this gives the delay and the electronics time to shut down.”