Sensata Technologies Launches High Efficiency Contactor to Enable Seamless 400V/800V EV Charging Compatibility

• Sensata’s new High Efficiency Contactor (HEC) enables safe and efficient 400V/800V battery reconfiguration, allowing 800V EVs to charge at 400V charge stations without the need for costly boost converter systems.
• Reduces component count by over 50% compared to traditional battery switching systems, while enhancing safety, efficiency, and system integration.
• Supports all battery configurations, enabling critical functions that extend battery life and ensure continued drive capability for maximum flexibility and performance.

SWINDON, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sensata Technologies (NYSE: ST), today 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.

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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 (

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