India: Govt recommends additional safety requirements in battery standards from 1 October
In the backdrop of number of cases of fire incidents observed in electric two-wheelers in different parts of the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) had constituted an Expert Committee, Chaired by Shri Tata Narsingh Rao (Director, ARC’, Hyderabad), and Shri M.K. Jain (Scientist – G, CFEES, DRDO), Dr. Arti Bhatt (Scientist-F, Additional Director, CFEES, DRDO), Dr. Subba Reddy (Principal Research Scientist, IISc, Bengaluru), Prof. L Umanand (Chair, DESE, IISc, Bangaluru), Dr. M. Srinivas (Scientis-E, NSTL, Vishakhapatnam), Prof. Devendra Jalihal (Head, C-BEEV, 11T Madras, Chennai) as members, to recommend additional safety requirements in the existing battery safety standards notified under CMV Rules.
Based on the recommendations of the expert committee report, the Ministry, on 29th August 2022, has issued amendment 2 to AIS 156- Specific requirements for motor vehicles of L category [motor vehicles with less than four wheels and is 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 [motor vehicle with 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]. These amendments include additional safety requirements related to battery cells, BMS, on-board charger, design of battery pack, thermal propagation due to internal cell short circuit leading to fire etc.
The notification to mandate amended AIS 156 and AIS 038 Rev.2 standards for the respective categories of electric vehicles with effect from 1 st October 2022 is in progress.
Ministry also has issued draft notification GSR 659 (E) dated 25th August 2022, to amend Sub-rule 4 of Rule 124 of Central Motor Vehicles Rule (CMVR) 1989, for mandating Conformity of Production (COP) for traction batteries used in electric power train vehicles. The proposed regulation will be applicable with effect from 1st October, 2022. Comments and suggestions have been solicited from all stakeholders within a period of thirty days.
