New AC charging cables with temperature sensors up to 80 A

The Charx connect mode-3 charging cable product family from Phoenix Contact is expanding. For the North American e-mobility market, UL-certified AC charging cables with charging currents of up to 80 A with integrated temperature sensor technology for increased safety are now available for the first time.

This enables charging powers of up to 20 kW with a cable diameter of just 19.4 mm. Well-known US automobile manufacturers are extending their vehicles’ onboard chargers to 80 A, so that the maximum charging power can also be tapped on the vehicle side.

For additional safety during the charging process, the charging cables with integrated temperature sensor technology are available in the form of a PTC chain. This enables the charging controller to terminate the charging process in the event of excessive warming before dangerous overheating arises.

On the charge

“While higher charging powers can be attained by using three phases under the European type-2 charging standard, in North America only one-phase grids are normally available. As a result, increasing the current strength is the only option for achieving practicable charging powers,” says Phoenix Contact. “The signal wires integrated into the charging cable allow the charging station to access the charging connector’s CS signal, which, in turn, allows it to detect the actuation state of the locking lever.”

The charging connectors are available with and without the Phoenix Contact logo. The charging connectors are also available with a tailored customer logo upon request.

“The new charging cables are as impressive as the entire product family,” adds Phoenix Contact. “They feature an ergonomic, appealing design, a modern design vocabulary and robust, high-quality materials. So far, they have received three prestigious design awards: The German Design Award, the iF Design Award and the Good Design Award.”