A specialist in all fronts
Sep 2021
The increase of performance of electric vehicles opens up a broad range of development prospects.
Meet the battery protection and range requirements of electric vehicles
From fuses to capacitors and busbars, the electric vehicles of several high-end manufacturers in Europe, Asia and the United States rely on not just one but several Mersen technologies. This reflects the Group’s exceptional expertise in these cutting-edge developments, derived from its long experience in sectors that share the same need for electrical protection and energy management – from solar energy to data centers, through telecommunications and rail.
To meet the requirements and specificities of the automotive sector, Mersen has to work hard to keep its products advancing. This brings several factors into play: while the mounting use of SiC semiconductors allows for increases to higher temperatures, it in turn requires the design of smaller and more thermally resistant busbars with very low inductance. The same goes for capacitors, where the switch from silicon to silicon carbide is not a minor change by any stretch of the imagination.
Joint collaboration with Autoliv
In April 2021, Mersen and Autoliv announced they are embarking on a multi-year alliance to develop devices that will make electric vehicles safer.
Unlike traditional passenger cars, which function with a 12-volt electrical system, today’s advanced electric vehicles can have systems with more than 500 volts. In an accident, those high voltage systems pose a greater risk of catching fire, potentially harming occupants and first responders.
The Autoliv and Mersen alliance will produce disconnect devices that utilizes Autoliv’s proven pyrotechnical safety switch technology and Mersen’s fuse hybridization concepts, to create an affordable device that can disconnect up to 1000 volt power source in milliseconds, before dangerous arcing can occur.
This joint alliance is a new promising step forward in the electric vehicle market. It’s the result of several months of collaboration with Autoliv’s teams to develop affordable devices that will make those vehicles safer. This partnership is further proof of Mersen’s ambition to grow in the EV market, which offers significant medium-term potential.