Electrified Damage in Motion Systems

Electrification is not only changing motion systems but also creating new technical challenges. The increasing electrification of modern technologies is redefining the environments in which materials operate, introducing electrical energy as a new driver of surface and interfacial degradation. Here, we propose a fundamental framework for electrified damage, a degradation pathway arising from the coupling of electrical energy transport with mechanical contact and interfacial chemistry. The framework presented positions electrified damage as a distinct degradation regime with unique characteristic surface morphologies and failures of multiple sizes. By integrating mechanisms across length scales, from nanoscale electron transport and electromigration to microscale discharge erosion/oxidation and macroscale surface failure, this perspective provides a unified basis for interpreting degradation phenomena observed in electrified systems. Recognizing electrified damage as a fundamental pathway in materials degradation highlights the need for new experimental diagnostics, predictive models, and materials design strategies that explicitly consider electro‐mechanical coupling. Such advances will be essential for ensuring the durability and reliability of next‐generation electrified technologies.