Podcast discusses what affordable EVs mean for connector market

While positive news, it increases pressure on component manufacturers who must dramatically increase component production to cope with the increased demand.

In the latest episode of the PEI-Connects podcast Jonathan Parry, Senior Vice President and MD Europe at PEI-Genesis, answers the question: what does an affordable EV mean for the electrical connector market? PEI-Connects is available on all major podcast platforms, including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Spotify.

The PEI-Connects podcast is hosted by Zafar Jamati and aims to keep engineers, technicians, and business leaders up to date with the latest news and innovations from the world of electrical connectors. Each episode sees him sit down with a leading figure from the industry to discuss the key events of the day. The latest episode focuses on the latest electrical connector trends in the EV market.

As EV prices become more affordable, the widespread transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to greener alternatives comes closer to being realised. However, this news is putting pressure on component manufacturers who must now ramp up component production to meet the increased demand. One of the key components, both in the vehicle and in the charging station, is the EV connector.

“The electric vehicle market is so much more than the headlines from the big-name automotive players like Tesla and Volkswagen show,” explained Parry. “At PEI, we have been investing heavily in the EV market for the last five or six years. This has been in both the traditional automotive market and in broader e-mobility sector, including light utility vehicles, electric boats and, even, small electric aircraft.

“We focus heavily on helping customers from across these different applications find the right connector solution for their application, taking into account power requirements, protection levels and maintenance options.”

It’s clear that charging infrastructure and the fragmentation of connector types poses a challenge in the adoption of EV, with many options to consider depending on the application.

“After speaking to Jonathan, it became abundantly clear to me that there is no one size fits all connector solution for all types of EV connectors,” added Jamati. “However, for mass market automotive EVs, the technology does seem to be slowly converging towards a single preferred connector type and reaching this position will be crucial in delivering our net zero ambitions.”

Future episodes of the podcast are already in production and will cover a range of exciting topics from across the electrical connector landscape. These include technical innovations in the connector market, industrial AI in warehouse automation and how to navigate global supply chain issues.

PEI Genesis would like to invite all its listeners to leave a review, letting the team know your thoughts on episode one and there are any topics you would like to see covered in future episodes.