Grounding electrode resistance non-linearly changes under impulse conditions due to soil ionisation phenomenon. Several models have been proposed to model soil ionisation for grounding electrodes applications. However, to date, there is yet an attempt made to compile all these works into a comprehensive review article. Therefore, this paper is written with the objective of summarizing all related works in this field as a one– stop reference. With reference to the literature, this paper is written to summarize the working principles of the soil ionisation models as well as the accuracy and performance analysis of the models. This paper, particularly highlights the deficiencies of the available models in terms of accuracy and performance. This knowledge will contribute to the development of a new accurate and efficient soil ionisation model.