System and method for determining an operational status of a contactor in an electric vehicle

A method for determining an operational status of at least one contactor of an electric vehicle (EV), the at least one contactor being controllably movable between a closed state and an open state, wherein the EV comprises:

• an electric power source with a positive and a negative terminal;
• a contactor test circuit configured to determine the operational status of the at least one contactor, the contactor test circuit comprising:
• at least one test switch electrically-coupled in series with the electric power source, the at least one contactor and at least one sensor, the at least once sensor configured to detect current flow passing therethrough;
• and
• a control unit operatively-coupled to the at least one test switch, the at least one contactor, and the at least one sensor, the control unit configured with executable instructions to implement the method comprising:
• communicating with the at least one contactor to change its current state or receive a signal indicative of its current state;
• registering, by the control unit, an expected state of the at least one contactor based on the control unit's communication or the received signal;
• operating, by the control unit, the at least one test switch to detect whether current flows through the at least one sensor;
• receiving, by the control unit, a signal from the at least one sensor indicative of an observed state of the at least one contactor based on whether current flows through the at least one sensor;
• and
• comparing, by the control unit, the expected state to the observed state.