This disclosure relates to a method for minimizing the electrical drainage of charged electrical powertrain components, a method for controlling electrical conductivity over a lifetime of a lubricating oil in an electric vehicle powertrain lubricated with the lubricating oil, and a method for obtaining a desired electrical conductivity-to-dielectric constant ratio of a lubricating oil for an electric vehicle powertrain and powertrain components. The methods relate to controlling at least one of oxidation, deposit formation and corrosion over the service lifetime of the oil. The lubricating oil has a composition including a lubricating base oil as a major component, an additive package, as a minor component, and an effective amount of one or more conductivity agents, as a minor component. The lubricating oil has an electrical conductivity from 10 pS/m to 20,000 pS/m, a dielectric constant of 1.6 to 3.6, with a ratio of electrical conductivity-to-dielectric constant from 5 to 10,000.