In order to prevent more EV fire incidents, the Heavy Industries Ministry has brought in several new safety tests that will be mandatory for electric vehicles from 1 April 2023.
“To safeguard Human Safety, certain safety tests which are done internationally will be made mandatory from 1 April 2023 for claiming incentives/payouts under the PLI scheme for Automobile and Auto components, ACC [Advanced Chemistry Cell] and FAME II scheme,” the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) said in a circular.
These safety tests enhance human safety by ensuring quality at the three levels – cell level, battery pack level and battery management system (BMS) level, as per the ministry.
The Cell level tests include impact tests, temperature cycling, shock, vibration, fire exposure and altitude simulation.
The battery pack level tests include case stress, dro/free fall, immersion, crush, and imbalance charging.
The BMS level tests include over-current protection, communication interface, cell voltage for each series check, current sensors check, cell temperature check, MOS temperature check, charge MOS check, discharge MOS check, power rail check, fuse current check, and cell balance function check.
The ministry said that these safety tests are widely carried out and accepted internationally for safeguarding human safety and thus would be made mandatory for the aforementioned schemes of the MHI from 1 April 2023 as a precondition for claiming incentives.
The new safety tests for electric vehicles come at a time when safety standards of EVs sold in India are being questioned following a spate of incidents of these vehicles spontaneously bursting into flames.