New industry standards and battery norms for Electric Vehicles

New industry standards and battery norms for Electric Vehicles

Subject : Science and Tech

Context:

The development comes after a string of EV fires took place in various parts of the country due to faulty batteries over the last few months, prompting the government to formulate expert committees to investigate the fires and also come up with regulatory changes for safer EVs.

India’s battery safety norms:

• The MoRTH had constituted an expert committee which included officials from the Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES), Indian Institute of Science, and IIT-Madras, following the incidents of EVs catching fire.
• In September, the Ministry published amendments to Automotive Industry Standards AIS-156 which provides Specific Requirements for Electric Powertrain of Motor Vehicles with at least four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to goods.
• These norms, which will kick in from October, include additional safety requirements related to battery cells, battery management system (BMS), on-board charger, design of battery pack, and thermal propagation due to internal cell short circuit leading to fire, among others.
• Additionally, the MoRTH issued a draft notification last month mandating conformity of production (CoP) for traction batteries used in electric powertrain vehicles. This proposed regulation, too, will be applicable with effect from October 1.
• The NITI Aayog is working with the industry and academia to develop an open source BMS to be used in two- and three-wheeler EVs. The system is being designed according to Indian standards and also as a measure to cut dependence on imports.

Thermal runway: https://optimizeias.com/ev-fires/