Sensata Technologies announced the launch of its STEV high-voltage contactor series, engineered for high efficiency and robust protection to meet the evolving demands of electric vehicles. Sensata’s STEV contactors address key challenges in electrified mobility by combining performance, safety and integration capabilities required across modern battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) platforms. They deliver safer, more efficient operation and reliable performance for electric and hybrid vehicles, supporting OEMs in meeting the highest standards for reliability and safety in electrified mobility.
Contactors are high voltage switches that safely open and close the electrical circuit thousands of times throughout a vehicle’s life. In electric vehicles, they serve as a key component, allowing safe power flow between the battery and critical systems like the inverter and charger. Their performance directly impacts vehicle safety, efficiency and reliability, making them critical to the protective architecture of modern EVs.
Scalable across vehicle platforms
The STEV series is designed to scale across a wide range of vehicle platforms, from plug-in hybrid passenger cars to battery electric pickup trucks and Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. This scalability enables OEMs to standardize switching technology across multiple vehicle lines, simplifying integration and reducing development time.
Flexible by design
Sensata’s STEV contactors are customizable to meet specific mission requirements, leveraging core switching technology that has been refined over years of development. STEV contactors are engineered to meet stringent automotive safety and quality standards, including compliance with Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) processes and other OEM certification requirements, ensuring readiness for integration into global vehicle platforms.
“We don’t just manufacture components. We engineer solutions with our customers, adapting our STEV contactors to the unique demands of leading OEM’s applications,” said Markus Schwabe, EVP, Automotive and Aftermarket at Sensata Technologies.
Proven performance
Sensata’s contactor technology is used by leading OEMs in millions of vehicles worldwide and continues to expand into new vehicle architectures as requirements evolve. STEV contactors provide reliable high voltage switching with low contact resistance and minimized heat generation. Hermetic sealing and modular designs enable continuous current carry ratings from 150 A to 600 A with high short-circuit withstand capability greater than 20 kA, ensuring safe and efficient operation as well as seamless integration in BEV and PHEV platforms.
Key features and benefits of Sensata’s STEV series contactors include:
- Single or dual assembly options: Flexible configurations allow integration into diverse power distribution architectures and help save space.
- Bidirectional current capability: Select models feature non-polarity main contacts, supporting advanced EV power system designs.
- Hermetic ceramic sealing: Arc containment and environmental protection, with IP67 ingress protection available on specific variants.
- High electrical isolation: Coil-to-contact dielectric strength up to 3.0 kV and insulation resistance of 1000 MΩ at 1000 VDC for safety-critical applications.
Sensata Technologies | sensata.com
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Kirsten Campbell is a Marketing Tornado and junk robot of information. Analytical and creative, she has been in marketing and communications since 2008 and worked with everyone from small businesses to your favorite household names.
Ask her about the time she made a numismatics blog interesting (yes, really) or wrote an obit for a family she never met.
An ardent admirer of corporate snark played out online, Kirsten loves Reese’s peanut butter cups and still isn't over the Mars Rover.
