At what point do electric motors draw the most current?

• A. During starting
• B. While running at full speed
• C. During idling
• D. At random unpredictable times

Answer: (A)

The highest current happens during starting. When the motor is starting from rest, there is no back-EMF yet to oppose the applied voltage, so the current is limited only by the winding resistance. That creates a large inrush (starting) current. As the rotor speeds up, back-EMF grows and opposes the applied voltage, reducing current. At full speed, the current is the normal running current, which is typically much lower than the starting surge. Idle or no-load running draws even less, and current isn’t random but tied to the load and speed.