EV players laud new battery safety norms, say will aid India’s electric vehicle adoption

The amendments include stringent constraints for the design of battery packs, onboard chargers, and thermal propagation due to internal cell short-circuiting that leads to fire, among other things

After almost all major electric two-wheeler makers like Okinawa, Ola Electric, Pure EV, etc. reported fire incidents related to faulty batteries in April 2022, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has taken cognisance and has come up with new battery safety norms that will be effective from October 1, 2022. Industry players have come up in support of these new battery safety norms and say it will help aid EV (electric vehicle) adoption in the country.

“We welcome the government’s decision to bring industry-wide amendments to battery safety norms. This will support in upgrading the battery packs in terms of safety through an advanced thermal management system & real-time monitoring of battery packs’ health and performance through can based battery management system (BMS),” said Jeetender Sharma, Founder and MD, Okinawa Autotech.

The amendments include stringent constraints for the design of battery packs, onboard chargers, and thermal propagation due to internal cell short-circuiting that leads to fire, among other things. Earlier this year, following fire incidents, Ola Electric had recalled 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers while Okinawa also announced a recall of 3,215 units of its Praise Pro electric scooter to fix any issue related to batteries. Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari in April had warned companies of penalties if they were found to be negligent.

“We will comply with the standards that are notified by the government and ensure that the highest quality standards are met in all our existing and future products,” Sharma added.

Another EV start-up Etrio says that the new norms will aid EV adoption in the country. “As an EV OEM committed to increasing EV adoption and safety, we at Etrio welcome the recently-notified regulatory amendments and battery norms suggested by the Ministry of Road Transport, government of India. The additional safety requirements for battery cells, battery packs, BMS, etc., when implemented, can greatly help the OEMs win the confidence of EV end-users by rolling out robust and safe vehicles,” Kalyan C Korimerla, MD & Co-Promoter, Etrio, said.

He added that safety standards such as these are extremely important in not only saving lives and minimising fleet asset damage, but also play a pivotal role in making the public feel safe in switching to electric vehicles.

“Based on the recommendations of the expert committee report, the ministry on August 29, 2022, has issued an amendment to AIS 156- Specific requirements for motor vehicles of L category (those with less than four wheels/a quadricycle) with electric power train, and amendment 2 to AIS 038 Rev. 2 – Specific requirements for Electric Power Train of motor vehicles of M category (at least four wheels used for carrying passengers) and N category (motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods which may also carry persons in addition to the goods),” MoRTH had said in a statement.

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