German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has received an order for contactors worth over a quarter-billion euros from an undisclosed German automaker. 

Rheinmetall will be equipping the new 900-volt generation of EVs with a new type of contactor, starting in 2025.

Contactors ensure the EVs can be safely switched on and off, especially in emergencies like an accident or system failure. 

The new 900-volt technology poses challenges for the contactors’ design, particularly concerning the cut-off performance under high short-circuit currents. 

The company says its new product platform combines low weight with high performance and that low contact resistances guarantee lower power losses. Rheinmetall’s contactors function without volatile quenching gases, which reduces production costs, assures longevity and enables higher operating temperatures with a significantly lower risk of bursting.

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Source: Rheinmetall