'Unrealistic': Electric vehicle makers on new safety features deadline

All the additional safety requirements for electric vehicles (EVs), including those for batteries, proposed by the government cannot be implemented with immediate effect, according to EV makers. They claimed those measures can only be in a phased, time-bound manner.

The new standards — according to a draft notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) on Thursday — are to be implemented from October 1. This is even as most of them conceded that the proposed standards are aligned to the best practices globally and shall help make EVs safer, albeit at a higher cost.

“Though the standards being proposed draw from the best in the world, it’s practically impossible to make all the amendments and implement the additional layers of safety in less than a month,” said Sohinder Gill, director general at EV makers’ association, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV).

Following multiple fire incidents involving electric two-wheelers, the MoRTH had set up an expert committee to recommend additional safety measures for batteries. Subsequently, on 29 August, based on the committee’s recommendations, the ministry issued an amendment for electric two-, three-, and four-wheelers.

These include measures in addition to the existing battery safety standards, which were already in force under the central motor vehicle (CMVR) rules. 

The new safety rules will cover key components of the battery system, including the battery cells, onboard charger, battery pack design, and thermal propagation, which can lead to internal cell short circuits causing a fire in the vehicle.

“While tests are certainly stringent and will help improve overall quality, the enforcement date is perhaps unreasonable, especially for those manufacturers which were just about to place their batteries for certification,” said Amitabh Saran, chief executive and founder, Altigreen, manufacturer of e-three wheelers.

SMEV’s Gill echoed Saran’s view. “They (standards) have been taken from the best of countries but the issue is how much of it can be implemented in such a short period.”

An executive at an e-two-wheeler maker said: “While some of the things are good, a few of them seem a bit impractical from a manufacturing point of view. We are not sure how they will be implemented.”

“This resets the minimum bar and encourages people to invest further in R&D and adopt much better quality design and manufacturing processes,” said Arun Vinayak, co-founder, Exponent Energy, a battery and charging technologies provider to EV makers.

Though the industry, he said, will have to brace for a complete disruption in the supply chain for the next three to four months but the long-term gains shall outweigh the short-term challenges.

The additional safety requirements may add to the upfront cost of an EV by 20 per cent. But if one sees it from the total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, the cost of these measures will even themselves out as the battery will last much longer and they will lower TCO, said Vinayak.

The standards were discussed during a meeting hosted by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) last week. The meeting was attended by most EV makers.

Ram Rajappa, chief technology officer at Greaves Electric Mobility said "the timelines are not practical" given multiple factors including shortage of semiconductor parts, new design of battery could be larger in size and can affect vehicle packaging & integration, and more. Manufacturers will need a lead time of a few months to implement this highly technical change

EV makers have suggested “a blueprint for short-term and medium-term actions,” said Gill. Things like electronic pick-up data, cell spacing, and numbering on the cell will take time as the cells are being imported from various countries.

Altigreen’s Saran said the additional safety measures will have cost implications. “These additional tests are applicable across the board, and Li-ion cell prices in the international market are still rising. This standard will certainly have an impact on the final battery price.”

For instance, in slow-speed L3 e-rickshaws, low-cost Li packs are replacing lead-acid batteries. These lithium-ion packs will now be more expensive, since cells will be upgraded to meet new standards (though they may not be needed), pointed out Saran.

According to Gill, “all of this (standards) is a master plan” and will have to be worked out with various agencies like DST (department of science and technology, MoRTH).