New Battery Norms Issued By The Govt. Of India Could Help Reduce EV Fires

Recently the government of India appointed a special panel to preside over the need for stringent governance over EV battery testing. The objective: safer batteries that reduce the risk of thermal runaway in the interest of public health and safety. The panel has shared a list of amendments that will be added to the ‘Automotive Indian Standards’ that pertain to EVs.

Without diving into too many technicals here, this is what the new mandate demands electric two and four-wheeler manufacturers to comply with starting October 2022:

1. Safety fuse: Much like a household trip-fuse, which senses irregularities in voltage and urgently cuts the power supply to all your appliances before they all blow up, this fuse will keep your scooter safe. It senses excess heat or current and disengages the battery.

2. Cell spacing: Cells when stacked with sufficient spacing in between each unit offer better thermal solitude. Hence, chances of one bad battery starting a chain reaction reduces considerably.

3. Battery Management System: Solution offered here is simple - add four mandatory sensors that sniff up any sign of heat, excess current and immediately relay the same to the user of the vehicle via the instrument console.

These changes seem evolutionary more than revolutionary, but we’ll take it. That said, most mainstream manufacturers today like Ather and TVS are unlikely to be affected by this a lot given their existing testing routine is already rigorous. There is no ambiguity anymore that EVs are here to stay, and with more and more brands joining the rising tide, it’s hard to have complex regulations and hope it fits all. Hence, in this time when EV tech is just finding its feet, more often than not, it’s simple mandates like these that make a difference.