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Identification of rapid wear out of local distribution transformers when used for EV charging.

Peter Brooks

The Editor of the latest edition (February 2025) of the "IEEE Spectrum" magazine highlighted a major problem with rapid wear out of local residential transformers, when they are used to charge EV's.

Specifically he stated that "multiple (EV) chargers on one distribution transformer can reduce its life from an expected 30 to 40 years to 3 years. He quoted this information from Deepak Divan who is director of the Center for Distribution Energy at Georgia Tech.

Can anyone at the IET confirm this life projection?

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay Florida USA

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  • I wonder by what sort of mechanism they "wear out" - given they don't have any moving parts as such. Feeding large long-hour switchmode loads is hardly novel - data centres for example I would have thought would provide a similar load characteristics as a large number of EV chargers, and I've heard of no problems with their transformers, and data centres have been about for decades. Maybe there's some peculiarity of the type of small pole mounted single-phase transformers the US seems to prefer for residential supplies - perhaps not rated for continuos load or don't handle harmonics too well (rattling the laminations or something like that)?

       - Andy.

  • in reply to AJJewsbury

    Hello Andy:

    A component doesn't have to have moving parts to "wear out" (that is become defective)..

    Think about capacitors used in laptop computers which short out in the battery charging circuits.

    My best guess is that is due to high operating temperature.

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay Florida USA     

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  • in reply to AJJewsbury

    Hello Andy:

    A component doesn't have to have moving parts to "wear out" (that is become defective)..

    Think about capacitors used in laptop computers which short out in the battery charging circuits.

    My best guess is that is due to high operating temperature.

    Peter Brooks

    Palm Bay Florida USA     

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