Expert panel weighs revamp of EV certification, testing
Recommendations may come as early as end of this month, say people in the know
NEW DELHI: In the wake of several instances of fire in EV two wheelers and EV showrooms, an expert committee set up by the government is expected to recommended changes to testing and certification criteria of EVs.
People privy to the development said that Bureau of Indian Standards is expected to come up with standards for batteries and inputs would be taken from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories on the revised criteria.
The panel is also looking at strict testing criteria for low speed EV two-wheelers, said the officials. Low speed two wheelers are the ones which have a maximum speed of 25 km per hour. “Two panels were formed on the EV issue, one was looking on the cause of fire incidents, which has shared its recommendations to the companies and the other, on battery standards and is expected to submit its report soon,” said the secretary for the the ministry of road, transport and national highways, Giridhar Aramane. “Improvements over the existing standards are being considered by the expert panel,” he said.
People in the know said the recommendations may come as early as end of this month.
They also said the inspection and probe report has been shared with the EV companies and they have been asked to explain the lapses in their battery manufacturing.
The government departments sprang to action after a series of incidents wherein several scooters of OLA Electric, PureEV, Boom Motors, Okinawa among others caught fire leading to several injuries and even few deaths in some cases.
India is preparing comprehensive guidelines for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, said two government officials aware of the matter, as rising incidents of fires linked to such ecofriendly vehicles raises concerns among potential buyers.
On April 7, Mint had reported that the government is preparing comprehensive guidelines for the electric vehicle (EV) industry as rising incidents of fires linked to such eco-friendly vehicles raises concerns among potential buyers. The Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari on April 21 announced that the government would issue quality-centric guidelines for electric vehicles.
“If any company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered,” he said in a series of tweets.
According to experts, manufacturers should eye for a impedance of around 12 for the batteries. Cheaper Chinese batteries come with an impedance level of 18-40. The lower the impedance, the lower the chances of overheating, they said.
Experts said out of the two most commercially viable battery chemistries—Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP)—NMC gets
heated much faster, and the chemistry is used in batteries by Indian e-scooter makers.
Sambit Chakraborty, Advisory Board Member, Indigrid Technology said: “The government should insist on tier-1 cells. Tier-1 cells usually come from Japan or Taiwan or Korea. Their impedance rate is in low double digits or low teens as opposed to the commonly used Chinese cells whose impedance is much higher.”
“Metal or plastic casing on the packs should have a lower quality/safety rating and the BMS (battery management system) should be an intelligent design to analyze heat dissipated at a cell level to shut off that one specific overheating cell if necessary. They should also insist on a robust bus bar as a second layer of safety in the pack design and a fireproof light weight casing,” he said.
Noting that stringent testing and certification norms are the need of of the hour, Nitin Gupta, CEO of Attero Recycling Pvt Ltd said that government should look at the certification standards in the US and Europe and customize them as per Indian conditions. The temperature range that vehicles need to operate in India is very different from that in the developed countries, he added.