The rapid penetration of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is reshaping the wiring harness industry. Traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles primarily rely on 12V low-voltage wiring harness systems, while NEVs require high-voltage wiring harnesses due to their battery voltages ranging from 600V to 800V. This shift has increased the average price of wiring harnesses in NEVs to 5,000 yuan, which is more than 40% higher than that of traditional mid-range ICE vehicles.
The global high-voltage wiring harness market is growing rapidly. Research data shows that the global electric vehicle high-voltage wiring harness market size was $6.22 billion in 2023 and is expected to climb to $25.9 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.17%.
For a long time, the
Automotive Wiring Harness market has been dominated by German, Japanese, and American giants. In 2021, the top three companies (Yazaki, Sumitomo, and Aptiv) held a combined market share of 71%. However, with the innovation in NEV technology, the traditional monopoly is being disrupted.
Local enterprises are leveraging their synchronous development capabilities and cost advantages to accelerate their entry into the NEV supply chain. Some manufacturers have already achieved technological breakthroughs in high-voltage wiring harnesses, matching international standards in key technical indicators such as lightweight design and liquid-cooled
Fast Charging.
02Material Revolution: Advancing Lightweight and Protective Performance in Tandem
The widespread adoption of 800V high-voltage platforms places more stringent demands on wiring harnesses. The industry is achieving a balance between weight reduction and performance enhancement through material innovation, which has become the main theme of technological evolution.
In the field of insulating materials, XLPE (Cross-Linked Polyethylene) dominates the market due to its excellent electrical insulation properties and cost advantages, accounting for approximately 45% of the global high-voltage wiring harness insulating material market by 2024. EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) and PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) remain irreplaceable in high-temperature and corrosion-resistant applications.
Lightweight technologies are taking diverse paths: replacing copper wires with aluminum can reduce connector weight by 40% and lower costs by 20%. Thin-wall insulation designs reduce material usage while ensuring safety. Cross-sectional process optimization enhances conductivity, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area.
Protective technologies have also made significant breakthroughs. A patented protective bracket for commercial vehicle high-voltage wiring harnesses, designed with a special structure, effectively resists the impact of flying sand and gravel, extending the service life of high-voltage wiring harnesses under harsh conditions. Guo Ya Electronics' rotating limit structure addresses the industry pain point of bending and cracking in passenger vehicle wiring harnesses.
03 Intelligence and Integration, Redefining the Wiring Harness Technology Roadmap
The wave of automotive intelligence is driving demand for high-speed wiring harnesses. L2 autonomous driving requires data transmission capabilities at the megabit level, while L3 jumps to 10Gbps, spurring rapid advancements in high-speed connector technology. New products such as FAKRA RF connectors now support 6GHz/4Gbps transmission rates, meeting the real-time data needs of ADAS systems for high-definition cameras and millimeter-wave radars.
Changes in electronic and electrical (E/E) architecture are overturning traditional wiring methods. Tesla, through optimizing its EEA architecture, reduced the wiring harness length in the Model 3 to 1.9 kilometers, a 36% reduction compared to the Model S. Aptiv's SVA architecture, after integrating domain controllers, achieved a 20% reduction in wiring harness weight.
Powerline communication (PLC) technology is opening up new avenues for reducing wiring. The latest vehicle communication system patent from SERES uses modulation-demodulation units to load communication data onto the high-frequency carrier of power lines, significantly reducing the number of dedicated communication wiring harnesses and shortening the overall vehicle wiring length. This innovation aligns with the industry trend of "less is more" in technology.
