The circuit board doing the work that used to sit 7.5 metres away, now living inside the connector housing
(Image courtesy of Vector Informatik GmbH)
Vector has launched vSECC.InPlug, a communication controller board that moves the DC charging communication controller out of the charging station and into the connector itself. The change extends the permitted cable distance between a vehicle and its power electronics from roughly 7.5 metres to up to 100 metres. For bus and truck depot operators, that shift removes a longstanding constraint on where charging points and power hardware can sit relative to each other.
What the DC charging communication controller does differently
A supply equipment communication controller, or SECC, bridges the charger’s power electronics and the vehicle’s battery management system, carrying that exchange over power line communication on the charging cable. Signal attenuation over long cable runs has historically forced the controller to sit close to the connector, capping the distance at around 7.5 metres in conventional architectures.
vSECC.InPlug relocates that DC charging communication controller function into the connector itself, while a second controller, vSECC, remains in the cabinet and continues to manage the charging process, communication protocols, power electronics and backend connectivity. According to Vector, this split enables cable runs of up to 100 metres between the centrally located power electronics and the connector, supporting IEC 61851, DIN SPEC 70121, ISO 15118-2 and ISO 15118-20.
Depot charging planning and procurement implications
For depot operators, the practical effect is that connector placement can follow vehicle parking layout rather than proximity to a power cabinet, while power electronics and their cooling requirements stay consolidated at a single site location.
“In bus and truck depots, parking positions, vehicle dimensions, traffic routes and operating processes determine where charging points need to be installed. With vSECC.InPlug, operators can distribute charging points flexibly across large areas while keeping power electronics centralized,” said Peter Guse, Senior Director Business Development at Vector.
The current release supports a one-to-one mapping between each vSECC controller and vSECC.InPlug unit. Vector has said a one-to-four configuration is planned for a future release, in which a single vSECC would manage session and protocol handling for four connectors, intended to lower per-point controller cost in larger depot deployments. Vector has integrated vSECC.InPlug into a DC charging connector with LAPP Mobility, and the board is also available for other connector manufacturers to integrate into their own designs.
vCharM.DMS adds depot operations management
Alongside vSECC.InPlug, Vector has introduced vCharM.DMS, its first depot management system for small and medium-sized bus depots. The platform combines vehicle status, parking bay occupancy, maintenance records and scheduled departures into a single operational view for dispatchers, control centre staff and workshop teams.
Vector says operators can deploy vCharM.DMS ahead of fleet electrification, then connect it to the vCharM charging and energy management system as electric buses are added. At that point, confirmed departure times and required state of charge feed directly into charging planning, and vCharM schedules charging sessions and prioritises vehicles by operational need.
Vector will demonstrate vSECC.InPlug at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hanover, running a transparent connector, control cabinet and miniature truck model to show the communication path between vehicle, connector and centralised infrastructure.
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