Govt To Set EV Battery Safety And Performance Standards

The government is going to finalize EV battery safety and performance standards to promote the adoption of electric vehicles & to reduce pollution.

According to two senior government officials, the government is set to release critical battery safety and performance standards next month. 

These standards are considered to be essential in encouraging the use of electric vehicles and lowering pollution.

Given the concerns voiced by the industry that requiring dimensions would stifle innovation, the standards, developed by the Bureau of India Standards, would not include limits on the dimensions and size of batteries.

The official commented on the choice of battery size, saying, “The EV industry is quite young in India. Therefore, altering the battery’s dimensions would essentially stop innovation. 

Therefore, it has been agreed that standards would only be focused on performance and safety, not dimension.

In response to concerns voiced by industry executives, the government is rethinking its intention to require EV battery specifications and size requirements under its future battery-swapping legislation.

The consumer affairs ministry and NITI Aayog convened with businesses on January 3 to address their concerns on an unified battery pack standard, but the standard size issue remained unresolved.

According to a different official, the industry is considering creating alternative chemistries in addition to lithium-ion batteries, which are now the most widely accessible EV batteries.

The official, who also asked to remain anonymous, stated that given the potential for additional innovation, the Center does not mandate dimensions.

To encourage the development of novel battery chemistries in the nation, a production-linked incentive programme is already in the works.

Also Read: Sony and Honda join hands to make electric vehicles

Up until the time of publication, questions made to the ministry of consumer affairs spokeswoman went unanswered.

In order to prepare for the battery-swapping policy, which is about to be issued, the Center initially intended to develop requirements for battery shape and size in addition to those for safety and performance.

After the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned a goal to develop the policy in her budget statement for FY23, NITI Aayog presented the draft policy in April of last year.

Another significant effort would be made with the new safety and performance requirements to establish safety norms to prevent EV fires. 

The road transport ministry added new restrictions to the safety criteria for EV battery packs in response to numerous instances of electric two-wheeler batteries catching fire.

The ministry implemented the new AIS-038 (for four-wheelers) and AIS-156 (for two- and three-wheelers) standards under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

The ministry of heavy industries then released a unique set of regulations on human safety, which must be put into effect by 1 April.