UL Requirements to Mitigate Hazards for Electric Vehicle Batteries
October 12, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) will release a set of requirements - UL Subject 2580 - for large batteries in electric vehicles.
The new requirements are designed to help mitigate the potential risk of fire and electrical hazards and enhance the overall safety of batteries for electric vehicles, according to UL.
Before becoming a standard, these requirements will be reviewed by a global standard technical panel (STP).
The use of electric vehicles is expected to increase in coming years, mainly due to the cost of traditional fuels and rising environmental concerns, according to UL.
Billions of dollars are being invested globally to develop and promote this technology, experts said, including almost $3 billion from the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
According to consulting firm Oliver Wyman, the estimated number of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles that will be on the road over the next decade range from 1 million to 5 million new vehicles per year. Along with this growth comes the potential for fire, electric shock and other safety hazards.
While UL Subject 2580 will not be mandated, manufacturers will have the option of certifying to its requirements to help reduce risks, according to UL. Currently, there is no UL standard for the testing of large batteries for electric vehicles.
Source: Underwriters Laboratories (UL).