1500 W surge clamp for automotive 12 V rails
The 1.5KE12CAHE3_A/C: That 1500 W rating means it absorbs a 89.8 A surge pulse and clamps it to 16.7 V maximum — the voltage the downstream electronics actually sees during the event.
Through-hole axial package and operating range
Housed in the DO-201AA (DO-27) axial-lead package, the 1.5KE12CAHE3_A/C mounts through-hole on the PCB. The junction temperature range spans -55 °C to 175 °C — wide enough for under-hood placement where ambient heat and self-heating from repetitive surges stack. No power-line protection feature is built in — this is a pure transient suppressor, not a voltage regulator.
The TransZorb series has broad second-source coverage in the 1500 W axial footprint, but no official pin-compatible alternative is listed by Vishay for this exact order code.