Insulation Related Reliability Problems of Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment Plugs and Proposed Solutions

Abstract Recent studies show that Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is out of service 30% of the time, often due to plug failures. The authors reviewed the IEC 62196-1-2022 standard and found that it tests humidity and thermal ageing separately, which may not reflect real conditions. They suggest using the IEC 60068-2-38 method to test both factors together. Simple polyamides like PA6 and PA66 degrade under combined conditions, so High-Performance Polyamides (HPPA) are recommended for better reliability and safety.