One of the core challenges in e-mobility is reducing charging times. Achieving faster charging requires higher currents, which in turn generate more heat and increase the risk of overheating in the charging cable harness.
To address this, GG Group, VOSS Automotive, and Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics collaborated to develop a cooled high-voltage charging cable harness compatible with the CCS2 standard. This marks a key step toward improving charging performance in electric vehicles.
The slower adoption of EVs is often attributed to cost, limited range, infrastructure gaps, and lengthy charging times. This collaboration targets the latter, introducing a vehicle-mounted high-voltage cable system designed to improve thermal performance during charging.
The system comprises the Power2Flow charging cable, CHARGESOK CCS2 socket, a vehicle-specific battery connection, and a closed-loop thermal management system.
By incorporating internal heat dissipation, the system increases current-carrying capacity by approximately 70% without requiring a larger conductor cross-section, with the long-term goal of reducing charging time to under five minutes.
Addressing overheating
While electric drivetrain components, such as motors, inverters, and batteries, are routinely liquid-cooled, the cables connecting them (especially, the charging cable between the battery and the charge port) have traditionally lacked dedicated cooling. This limits charging speed, as current levels must be restricted to prevent thermal damage.
Previous approaches, such as increasing cable cross-section or using busbars, often result in added weight and reduced flexibility, which complicates vehicle packaging and installation.
To overcome this, the three companies combined expertise in cable design, fluidic systems, and connector technology. GG Group contributed advanced wiring and cable systems, VOSS Automotive developed the thermal management architecture, and Amphenol provided high-current connectors and charging interface components.
Integrated cooling
The center of the system is the Power2Flow cable from GG Group, which utilizes stranded aluminum or copper conductors with reduced cross-sections for enhanced flexibility. Inside the cable, a VOSS-developed plastic heat exchanger circulates the cooling medium through a multi-layer structure designed for both electrical insulation and thermal transfer. This enables heat to be actively removed along the cable route — from the battery connection to the charging socket — where thermal load is highest.
The heat exchanger supports both conventional water-glycol and immersion cooling fluids. Its inner layer is electrically conductive, while the outer layer is thermally conductive and electrically insulating. Together, they enable a reduction in conductor size while maintaining electrical and thermal performance. GG Group ensures electrical functionality and contacting, while VOSS provides thermal integration.
At the interface with the charging infrastructure, the CHARGESOK CCS2 connector from Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics integrates direct cooling using the VOSS system. The cooling medium flows around the DC contact points, managing heat at the source of the highest electrical load. The connector supports various cooling fluids, offering flexibility for integration into different thermal systems.
Ultra-fast charging
This integrated high-voltage charging system has the potential to significantly reduce charging times by supporting higher current flow through a cooled cable and connector assembly. Its flexibility, lower weight, and modularity support easier installation in diverse vehicle platforms. The system’s compatibility with multiple cooling media further enables use across varied architectures, improving adaptability to future EV designs and charging environments.
Filed Under: Charging, Connectors, Technology News