How Electrification is Changing Connector Requirements
Equipment electrification is growing at a rapid pace. Advancements in lithium-ion technology allow for faster charging, longer runtimes, reduced emissions, and lower lifetime operating costs. As a result, adopting electric equipment is expanding across a wide range of industries.
The material handling industry has long embraced electric forklifts and continues to accelerate its transition away from internal combustion engine-powered equipment.
The outdoor power equipment industry has shifted to battery power to improve runtime and charging speeds for handheld landscaping tools, riding lawnmowers, and more.
Construction equipment manufacturers are introducing electric loaders, compactors, and excavators into urban job sites with strict noise and emissions requirements.
Airports are increasingly adopting electric ground support equipment (GSE), such as tugs, de-icers, and belt loaders, to help reduce fuel consumption and operating costs.
As industrial equipment transitions toward lithium-ion battery systems, connector requirements are becoming increasingly demanding. Compared to traditional lead-acid systems, lithium-ion applications often support higher charging rates, more frequent charging cycles, and longer equipment operating windows. As a result, design engineers must evaluate connector performance beyond simple current and voltage ratings.
Key considerations include:
- Thermal performance during high-current charging
- Contact resistance and temperature rise under load
- Signal integration for battery management systems
- Durability under repeated mating cycles
- Environmental sealing for outdoor charging environments
- Compatibility with existing charging infrastructure
Standards such as DIN VDE 0623-589 and EN 1175:2025 provide an important framework for safety and interoperability, but engineers must also evaluate how individual connector designs perform under real-world operating conditions.
The European market is one of the farthest along in electrification due to EU sustainability goals. The EU’s Electrification Action Plan aims to make Europe the first electro-powered continent, with an indicative electrification target of 46% electrification by 2040.
Since DIN is an important European standards organization, many of the latest European electric equipment and charging systems are designed around DIN-compliant interfaces and standards. This makes DIN compliance an increasingly important consideration for OEMs and design engineers developing electrified equipment intended for European or global markets.
How Do DIN Standards Apply to Equipment Electrification?
Originating in Germany from the Deutsches Institut für Normung, or the German Institute for Standardization, DIN standards are technical specifications that apply across industries to a broad range of machinery and component types. DIN standards are often expanded to apply to a wider range of countries such as European standards (EN) and international standards (ISO). Their names indicate their appropriate range of applicability, typically beginning with DIN, DIN EN, DIN ISO, or DIN EN ISO.
For design engineers, DIN standards are more than regulatory requirements. They directly influence connector dimensions, mating interfaces, electrical performance expectations, safety considerations, and interoperability between equipment and charging infrastructure. Compliance helps ensure that components can be integrated into existing fleets and charging ecosystems while maintaining consistent performance and safety characteristics.
SB Connectors from Anderson Power are an example of multipole connectors.
Which DIN and EN Standards to Consider When Designing Industrial Equipment
As equipment electrification expands to new markets, DIN adoption is growing. However, the standards are not widely applied in all regions of the world. For example, the North American market much more commonly distributes multipole connectors that conform to UL standards, such as the SB Connector Series from Anderson Power.
Nevertheless, DIN standards remain important for globally distributed equipment. Many OEMs designing for multiple geographic regions use DIN-compliant interfaces to simplify compatibility with European charging infrastructure, reduce redesign requirements between markets, and support equipment interoperability throughout the product lifecycle.
Two important standards to consider include:
1. DIN VDE 0623-589
DIN appliance connectors for Europe’s electric fork truck industry usually comply with DIN VDE 0623-589. This standard establishes requirements for dimensional compatibility, safety performance, marking, and interchangeability. For connector manufacturers, compliance means products must meet defined mating geometries and performance expectations while remaining compatible with equipment and infrastructure already deployed throughout the field.
DIN VDE 0623-589 connectors are pin-and-socket connectors used in electric industrial trucks, and they feature auxiliary wires that enable additional communication. These auxiliary contacts have become increasingly important as electrification systems evolve. Modern battery-powered equipment often requires communication between chargers, battery management systems (BMS), and vehicle controls to support functions such as state-of-charge monitoring, charging control, fault reporting, and temperature monitoring.
2. EN 1175:2025
Another standard that applies to this industry is EN 1175: 2025. This standard specifies electrical and electronic safety requirements for industrial trucks and provides guidance on designing systems that minimize electrical hazards during operation, charging, and maintenance. It is particularly relevant as manufacturers transition from traditional lead-acid systems to higher-performance lithium-ion platforms that support opportunity charging and higher electrical loads.
One way to support EN 1175-aligned system design is to select battery connectors with features such as temperature monitoring, auxiliary signaling, and robust mating performance that help engineers manage electrical safety risks during charging and operation.
Other Compliance Standards for Electrified Equipment
Additional compliance standards to consider are UL and CE.
UL standards are widely used throughout North America and help verify connector and equipment safety through testing and certification. For battery connector applications, standards such as UL 1977 are commonly referenced when evaluating electrical connector performance and safety. Compliance can provide confidence that a connector has been evaluated for factors such as current carrying capability, dielectric strength, temperature rise, and long-term reliability.
A CE marking indicates that equipment complies with applicable European regulations and directives. Depending on the application, this may include requirements related to electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), environmental considerations, and machinery operation. For equipment manufacturers, CE compliance is often necessary before products can be sold within European markets.
Together, DIN, EN, UL, and CE requirements provide a framework for designing safer and more interoperable electrification systems. While compliance establishes an important baseline, it should be viewed as the starting point rather than the final objective. Engineers must still evaluate connector performance under the unique electrical, thermal, and environmental demands of their application.
Beyond Compliance: Important Innovation Considerations in Battery Connectors
Standards compliance is an essential starting point when selecting a battery connector, but it does not guarantee optimal system performance. As charging rates increase and electrified equipment is deployed into harsher environments, engineers must evaluate how connector design choices affect reliability, uptime, safety, and long-term maintenance costs.
In addition to meeting compliance standards, design engineers should also keep in mind:
1. Connector sizing and power requirements
Depending on the application, current and voltage requirements will vary, but engineers are often balancing electrical performance against increasingly tight enclosure constraints. While higher-power applications have traditionally required larger connectors to safely carry increased current, advances in connector design now make it possible to deliver greater power density within a smaller footprint.
For this reason, engineers should evaluate not only a connector’s current and voltage ratings, but also its overall power density, installation footprint, and thermal performance. In applications where battery capacity, electronics, cooling systems, and other components compete for limited space, a compact connector can provide valuable design flexibility without sacrificing electrical performance.
Manufacturers such as Anderson Power specialize in high-power-density interconnects that deliver substantial current-carrying capability within a compact package. This power density can be particularly beneficial in electrified equipment where higher amperage is required but available space is limited.
Additionally, it’s also important to consider a connector’s contact resistance, temperature rise under load, mating cycle durability, and any other factors that would affect its power capacity. As lithium-ion charging currents increase, connectors can experience greater thermal stress than traditional lead-acid systems. Engineers should evaluate temperature rise under expected duty cycles because elevated contact temperatures can accelerate wear, reduce efficiency, and shorten connector service life.
Featured Solution: IBC Connectors
The Anderson Power Industrial Battery Connector offers built-in temperature sensing to allow for temperature monitoring. This photo shows those contacts on the interior of the connector.
Engineers should also evaluate electrical load profiles, peak charging currents, duty cycles, ambient temperature conditions, and expected lifecycle requirements when selecting a connector platform.
2. Required add-ons and customizations
Advanced monitoring features are becoming increasingly important as equipment manufacturers pursue higher charging power levels and longer battery life. Temperature sensing, auxiliary signaling, and battery management communication can help operators monitor their battery health, make smarter decisions about equipment uptime, and identify deteriorating connections and equipment maintenance needs before overheating or downtime occurs.
Connectors that come with customization and accessories give design engineers greater flexibility. For example, connectors like the Industrial Battery Connector offer up to 10 auxiliary signals to support enhanced battery monitoring, which can benefit lithium-ion powered equipment. Another connector feature that benefits Li-ion designs is a built-in negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor, enabling proactive contact temperature monitoring during fast charging.
A photo of an Industrial Battery Connector that offers up to 10 auxiliary signals.
3. Types of contacts
The different types of connector contacts, such as pin-and-socket and flat-wiping, serve different roles that can affect the longevity and performance of battery-powered equipment. Both flat-wiping contacts and pin-and-socket connectors both deliver key advantages for equipment battery connectors. The standard design engineers are targeting should factor heavily into the type of connector design they pick for the job.
Flat-wiping Contacts
Flat-wiping contacts offer self-cleaning action that can help reduce contamination buildup on contact surfaces over repeated mating cycles. Anderson Power pioneered flat-wiping contact technology in 1954, and the approach remains widely used where reliability and serviceability are priorities. For example, Powerpole Connectors use flat-wiping technology.
Pin-and-socket Connectors
On the other hand, one key advantage of pin-and-socket connectors is that they provide secure connections in high-vibration environments. DIN-compliant connectors like the Industrial Battery Connector are pin-and-socket style.
Additionally, both pin-and-socket and flat-wiping connectors can coexist within a connector design. One example of a connector featuring both is the SBS®XPRO by Anderson Power.
Selecting the appropriate contact technology can affect charging efficiency, maintenance requirements, system longevity, and total cost of ownership. The optimal choice depends on application priorities such as DIN compatibility, vibration resistance, serviceability, and current carrying capacity.
4. Protection from the environment
Environmental protection is increasingly important as outdoor charging expands across industries such as construction, ground support equipment, agriculture, and material handling. Moisture intrusion, dust accumulation, and corrosion can increase contact resistance over time, leading to overheating, reduced charging efficiency, and premature connector failure. For this reason, environmental ratings should be evaluated alongside electrical specifications during connector selection. Sealing, latching, and weatherproofing protects connectors even in harsh conditions.
For example, a secure latching handle on a connector can reduce the risk of accidental disconnections in high-vibration environments.
Many industries new to adopting electrification require their equipment to be charged outdoors. This equipment requires connectors with appropriate ingress protection (IP) ratings to keep out the debris, moisture, and dust that occurs on construction sites, airport tarmacs, and other exposed conditions. IP68, one of the highest IP ratings, indicates that a connector is fully dust-tight and can withstand complete water submersion for a time while mated.
Anderson Power’s Industrial Battery Connector IP68 kit features a clear voltage cover and other accessories to protect the connector while mated.
Applying Standards and Innovation in Applications
As electrification expands across material handling, construction, outdoor power equipment, and ground support applications, standards such as DIN VDE 0623-589, EN 1175, UL, and CE provide a foundation for safety and interoperability. However, successful electrification requires more than compliance alone.
Design engineers must evaluate thermal performance, environmental durability, signal integration, serviceability, long-term reliability, and power density to ensure connectors can support the increasing demands of modern battery-powered equipment.