The development of new-energy vehicles is growing rapidly, under the pressure of relating governmental politics, current situation of energy resources and natural environment. During the past ten months in 2018, the production and sales volumes have reached 879000 and 860000 in domestic market, making an increase by 70% and 75.6% than those for the corresponding period of last year. The production volume of new-energy vehicles will reach 2 million by the year 2020 according to the government’s plan, and ownership volume will exceed 5 million by then.
The new-energy cable usually means the cables using for new-energy vehicles, and classifies into in-car use and charging facility use. As the development grows, the cables using for electricity transportation will have an explosive increase as well. By the year 2020, the government is planning to have more than 12000 new centralized charging facilities built, and set up over 4.8 million new charging points, alongside with stronger support in construction of charging infrastructures.
The difference between cables for new-energy vehicle use and common vehicle use.
一、Great has changed in application circumstances:
1、High voltage and heavy current (in-car use)
Electrical current can be as high as 600/300A, while the voltage for a traditional vehicle battery is 12V, and the relative withstand voltage is not more than 60V.
2、Large cable diameter and big quantity (in-car use)
A large number of electricity consuming devices are connected with cables, and they are filled in the limited space within a vehicle.
3、Exposed in open (not in-car use)
The cables connecting the chargers are undergoing longtime exposure to the open circumstance, so their requirements for weather resistance, abrasion resistance, and tear resistance must be strictly achieved.
二、The high-voltage bearing cables inside a vehicle are facing the challenges of wiring, safety requirements, shielding, weight and producing cost, for their features of high voltage and heavy current loading, as well as large diameter and big quantity in use.
The application requirements for new-energy cables
The heavy electrical loading inside limited space, long-time exposure to open for charging poles, and unusual application circumstances, are all having greater demands to the physical and mechanical properties for the new-energy cables. They must be resistant to high and low temperatures, oil and water, flame retardant, tear resistance, good insulation, and UV resistance. The commonly used materials include TPE, TPU, XLPO, NBR+PVC, neoprene, and silicon rubber.
1、TPU Jacketing material for cables of charging poles
Advantages: high flexibility, wear resistance, high voltage withstanding, resistance to high temperature and pressure, chemical resistance, water resistance, high tensile strength, and environmental-friendly.
Disadvantages: low process ability in domestic market, and higher cost.
Working temperature: -40℃ to 150℃.
2、TPE The most commonly applied for charger’s cables are SEBS-based elastomers.
Advantages: easy to process, low density, favorable prices, soft and flexible, meet most of the current requirements.
Disadvantages: mostly have unsaturated bonds and poor stability, low resistance to oil especially petrol, low resistance to weather.
Working temperature: -50℃ to 120℃.
3、PVC elastomer
Advantages: flame retardant, good insulation, resistant to oil and acid, good processing ability, and low prices.
Disadvantages: black smoke and HCI generated when burning.
Working temperature: -40℃ to 105℃.
4、Silicon rubber
Advantages: resistant to high and low temperatures, good weather resistance, water resistance, softness, easy to process.
Disadvantages: poor oil and tear resistance, higher prices.
Working temperature: -40℃ to 200℃.
5、XLPE
Advantages: good cross-linking ability, soft, good insulation, light in weight, easy to assemble, low prices.
Disadvantages: poor resistance to high temperature, color difference between batches.
Working temperature: -50℃ to 100℃.
