Experimental and numerical investigation of electric erosion in automotive motor bearings

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are part of the solution to reach the 2050 net zero emission target. Trends towards higher voltage motors will likely contribute to an increase in electrically-induced failures in the bearings of EV motors. Electric motors prematurely fail from the passage of induced current in the bearings, a phenomena known as electric erosion . Determining the nature and conditions affecting these failures is key to mitigating their effects and ensuring that EVs continue to be a reliable mode of transport.

Presented at Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology, Leeds, 5 – 7 September 2023,