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The Merit Awards, a global program recognizing outstanding achievements across industries, honor organizations and teams that demonstrate excellence, innovation, and leadership.
This year’s Automotive Award recipients represent a diverse range of companies advancing vehicle technology, safety, sustainability, customer experience, and operational performance across the global automotive ecosystem.
Sensata’s High Efficiency Contactor (HEC): A Breakthrough for EV Charging
Sensata’s HEC is a patent-pending, switchable solution designed for next-generation electric vehicles. The HEC enables seamless battery reconfiguration between 400V and 800V, allowing EVs to charge across both legacy and ultra-fast next-generation infrastructure without the need for costly boost converters. This universal compatibility accelerates market acceptance and helps OEMs launch platforms that are future-ready.
Key features and differentiators of the HEC include:
• Universal Charging Compatibility: Supports all battery configurations, enabling critical functions that extend battery life and ensure continued drive capability for maximum flexibility and performance.
• On-Demand Battery Reconfiguration: Mechanically synchronized switching delivers safe combinations, preventing short circuits and supporting battery balancing and limp-home capability if one pack faults.
• Efficiency and Cost Savings: Integrates three high-voltage contactor poles into one compact unit, reducing system component count and cost by more than 50% compared to traditional solutions, saving weight and space, and improving vehicle efficiency.
• Ultra-Low Contact Resistance: Approximately 50 μΩ, minimizing heat generation and energy loss during both charging and driving.
• Robust Safety: Withstands short circuit events up to 25 kA, mechanical shocks greater than 90 g, and is rated to ASIL D, the highest automotive safety integration level.
• Future-Proof Design: Supports current and next-generation configurations, making universal 400V and 800V charging practical without tradeoffs.
Compared to alternative approaches that rely on additional power electronics or complex inverter schemes, the HEC achieves universal charging compatibility with fewer parts and lower thermal load. Its bi-stable design requires no holding power when in position, further improving vehicle efficiency and autonomy.
Industry Impact
EV charging infrastructure is in transition, with production of 800V EVs expected to grow significantly. Currently, only a few DC fast chargers can support 800V EVs, making onboard voltage adaptation essential for compatibility with the dominant 400V network. Sensata’s HEC removes a key barrier to EV adoption by enabling seamless operation across both charging ecosystems, improving range, charging speed, and overall energy performance.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for this innovation. With our HEC, we’re helping electric vehicles stay compatible with evolving charging infrastructure and shaping the future of mobility,” said Markus Schwabe, EVP, Automotive at Sensata Technologies.
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