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What are the requirements for wires and cables used in electric vehicle charging?

Release Date：

2026-04-09

Electric vehicles rely on electricity to power their propulsion; therefore, after a period of use, when the battery is depleted, they must be recharged.

　　Electric vehicles rely on electric power to propel themselves; therefore, after a period of use, when the battery is depleted, they must be recharged. When discussing EV charging, one cannot overlook the EV charging cable. The following provides a brief overview of the requirements for such cables.

　　Functional Requirements: The electric-vehicle charging cable serves as the interface between the electric vehicle and the charging station, with its primary function being the transmission of electrical energy. However, with the advancement of charging technology, effective completion of the charging process now requires communication between the vehicle and the charging station, as well as, where necessary, automated control. Consequently, the charging process places increasingly stringent demands on the charging cable: it must not only transmit electrical power but also convey real-time status and diagnostic information about the vehicle and its traction battery to the charging station for bidirectional interaction. Moreover, under appropriate conditions, the cable must enable control of the charging operation to ensure that the charging process is carried out safely and reliably.

　　Safety Requirements Currently, the safety of electric vehicles has become a key focus across the industry. Given the prolonged duration, high current levels, and frequent use of charging cables during the charging and discharging processes, their safety must be given paramount attention. Electric-vehicle charging cables, in addition to maintaining excellent insulation performance, should exhibit superior heat resistance and aging resistance; moreover, they should possess outstanding low-smoke, flame-retardant properties when exposed to fire, thereby minimizing losses and injuries.

　　Current Standards: At present, the primary technical bases for the production and manufacturing of electric vehicle charging cables are U.S. standards such as ANSI/NFPA/NEC Article 400 and the European Harmonized Document HD 22. In China, the vast majority of charging cable products are designed in accordance with IEC 60245 and IEC 60227 issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission, or with the corresponding national standards GB/T 5013 and GB/T 5023, which are adopted as equivalent to these two IEC standards.

Because the application requirements for electric-vehicle charging cables differ from those of conventional wires and cables, existing wire and cable standards are insufficient to cover all the performance requirements of charging cables. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a dedicated product standard for charging cables to promote the healthy development of the industry. Taking into account the mechanical, electrical, safety, environmental, and service-life requirements of charging cables, new low-smoke, halogen-free flame-retardant materials, polyester-based elastomers, and polyurethanes have proven more suitable as insulation and jacket materials for charging cables and are now emerging as the key direction for the development of such products.

　　Zhibo Electronics’ cables are closely linked to the safety of electric vehicles; its high-voltage cables and charging cables are among the core components of new-energy vehicle safety systems. Electric-vehicle safety encompasses three key areas: power-battery safety, whole-vehicle safety, and charging-infrastructure safety. High-voltage cables and charging cables play critical roles in both power-battery safety and charging-infrastructure safety.

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