An electrical contactor is provided comprising a first terminal having a fixed member with at least one fixed electrical contact; a second terminal; at least one electrically-conductive movable arm in electrical communication with the second terminal and having a movable electrical contact thereon; and an AC dual-coil actuator having a first drive coil drivable to open and close the movable and fixed electrical contacts, and a second non-drive coil feedback connected to induce a reverse flux to temper and stabilize a net flux, thereby enabling control of a delay time of the opening and closing electrical contacts so as to be at or adjacent to a zero-crossing of an associated AC load current.

An electrical contactor for switching a load current having an AC waveform, has a fixed electrical contact, a movable electrical contact, an actuator arrangement having a drive coil drivable for opening and closing the movable and fixed electrical contacts, and a power supply having a controller for outputting truncated-waveform drive pulses to the electrical actuator arrangement, so as to prevent contact separation prior to peak load current.