Increasing EV charging system reliability through proven surge protection practices

June 2024

In 2023, Plug-in America released a survey of electric vehicle owners. One of the questions asked was, “What are the most significant concerns with existing fast-charging networks?” 46% of public DC Fast Charging network users considered broken or non-functional chargers the most significant problem1. One solution is to harden EV chargers from the impact of surges originating from thunderstorms or utility service interactions. 

IEEE Std C62.230, titled “IEEE Guide for Surge Protection of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure,” provides guidance on effectively deploying surge protection at level 1 AC charging stations to DC fast chargers, hardening these systems from the impact of surges, resulting in increased reliability.

  1. 2023 EV Driver Survey, Plug-in America. Published May 2023. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://pluginamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-EV-Survey-Final.pdf
Active Committees/Task Forces of Interest
  • To learn more & get involved, please check out the IEEE PES Surge Protective Devices website here.
    • In 2022, the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Working Group Published IEEE Std C62.230 titled, “IEEE Guide for Surge Protection of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure.” This standard provides guidance our how to surge protect level 1 chargers to DC fast charging systems. 
    • If you want to get involved in the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Working Group, or learn more about the other actives of the Surge Protective Devices Committee please contact Bill Travis or Max Vargas.
  • The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment working group (3.6.14) holds WG meetings in conjunction with IEEE PES SPD Committee meeting twice a year. The next meeting is scheduled at Frisco, TX fall 2024 meeting. If you are interested in the WG activities and standard development, you are welcome to join the WG. More information about future meetings can be found by clicking on the link.
Technical Reports & Applicable Papers or Presentations

The application of surge-protective devices for electric vehicle infrastructure with system voltages of 1000 V ac or 1500 V dc or less is encompassed in this guide. The document provides guidance for North American types of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and electric vehicles (EVs) that conform to the SAE J1772: 2001. The guide includes applications such as power, data acquisition, and communications-related circuitry. The guide was developed for use by manufacturers, system designers, educators, and end users of electric vehicle supply equipment.

Publications
Other Available Material
  • Kenneth, C., “Chen, Larry K. Warne, Yau T. Lin, Robert L. Kinzel, Johnathon D. Huff, Michael B. McLean, Mark W. Jenkins, and Brian M. Rutherford, Conductor Fusing and Gapping for Bond Wires,” Progress in Electromagnetics Research M. Pier M, vol. 31, pp. 199–214, 2013.
  • Maytum, M. J., “Power Over Ethernet (PoE) What is it? How to Protect it?” The Alliance for Telecommunications Industries Solutions Protection Engineers Group.
  • Maytum, M.J, The Alliance for Telecommunications Industries Solutions Protection Engineers Group, Littleton, CO, March, 2014.
  • Rakov, V. A. “Lightning Parameters of Engineering Interest: Application of Lightning Detection Technologies,”in EGAT, Bangkok, Thailand, November 7, 2012.
  • Rousseau, A., X. Zang, and M. Tao, “Multiple shots on SPDs – additional tests,” in 2014 Int’l Conf. on Lightning Protection (ICLP), Shanghai, China.
  • Wiese, J, “Evolving Ethernet Applications and the Resulting Protection Challenges,” in The Alliance for Telecommunications Industries Solutions Protection Engineers Group, Huntsville, Alabama, March, 2010.
  • Yang, Shao-Jie, S-D Chen, Y-J Zhang, W-S Dong, J-G Wang, M. Zhou, D. Zheng, and H. Yu Hui. “Triggered Lightning Analysis Gives New Insight into Over Current Effects on Surge-protective Devices.”