Introduction to Safe Use of Electric Vehicle Charging Pile Cables

Content: Cable heating during charging is a common problem. Primary causes include current overload caused by prolonged high-power charging, poor cable quality (e.g., insufficient cross-sectional area of ​​the internal conductors, poor insulation heat resistance), and poor connector contact, resulting in resistive heating. Sustained high temperatures not only accelerate cable aging but can also cause fires. These can be addressed by reducing the charging power, checking for loose connectors, and replacing qualified cables.

Excessive heating of the charging cable during charging is a common safety warning for electric vehicle users. The core causes and effective mitigation strategies can be summarized as follows:

1. Current Overload and Power Mismatch

In fast-charging scenarios, DC charging piles can output currents of up to 150-200A (e.g., 480kW supercharging piles). If the cable's rated current carrying capacity is insufficient (e.g., a non-standard cable with a small conductor cross-sectional area), the resistance increases exponentially with the current, leading to a sharp increase in Joule heating.

When the vehicle battery is nearly fully charged, if the BMS fails to switch to trickle charging in a timely manner, continued high current input can also cause cable heating.

2. Cable Material and Workmanship Defects

Low-quality cables use recycled copper or aluminum cores instead of pure copper conductors, resulting in low conductivity and easy oxidation. Their internal resistance is over 30% higher than national standard cables. The insulation layer uses ordinary PVC instead of high-temperature silicone rubber or XLPE, with a temperature rating below 105°C and unable to withstand prolonged high-current operation.

Rough terminal crimping (e.g., poor cold solder joints) increases contact resistance, causing localized heat buildup exceeding 80°C and accelerating insulation aging.

3. Poor Interface Contact and Oxidation

Prolonged insertion and removal of the charging gun plug from the vehicle interface can cause the reed to loosen, reducing the contact area, or oxidation of the terminal surface to form copper oxide (which can increase contact resistance by 5-10 times), generating arcing heat when current flows.

Dust accumulation or water in the charging station socket can cause localized short-circuit heating, especially when using the charging station outdoors in rainy weather.

Of course, for any specific issues, please consult a professional cable engineer. For safe and reliable electric vehicle cable products, please visit: https://www.omgevcable.com