ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH ENHANCED DATA COMMUNICATION

An electrical connector for transferring electrical signals between a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle is provided, the electrical connector including a connector plug and a connector socket in compliance with an industry standard. The connector socket includes a plurality of male contact terminals, and the connector plug includes a corresponding plurality of female contact terminals. The connector plug and the connector socket include a secondary electrical connection to support bidirectional data communication between a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle with greater bandwidth. The secondary electrical connection can include an additional electrical contact within a male part for engaging an additional electrical pin within a female part, wherein the male part and the female part are joined to, but laterally offset from, the connector plug and the connector socket. Alternatively, or in addition, the secondary electrical connection can include a conductive strip on an exterior annular surface of the connector plug and a corresponding electrical contact on an interior annular surface of the socket opening.