High voltage impulse experiment on electric automobiles and its verification

In recent years, the demand for electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and other types of environmentally-friendly automobiles has rapidly increased. However, these vehicles require more electronic components than conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles. In particular, electric vehicles are installed with electrical systems in both their control and drive sections, rendering the vehicle vulnerable to lightning surges and other electromagnetic disturbances. Nevertheless, the effects of lightning strokes and associated phenomena on these types of vehicles have yet to be properly studied and identified. In this study, we applied impulse voltages to an electric vehicle, using an impulse voltage generator. The results provide insight into the phenomenological aspects of lightning strikes and characteristics of electric discharge between the wheels and ground.