Govt to introduce BIS standards for EV batteries

The government will soon introduce EV battery standards or the BIS standards as there is no reduction in the fires and explosions in EV two-wheelers. BIS standards will be applicable for EV two-wheelers which will later be expanded to four-wheelers. The EV batteries BIS standards would focus on size, specification, connectors, and quality of cells, the capacity of the battery. This is the need of the hour, and the ministry sources have said that they are in conversations with the battery industry stakeholders to introduce BIS guidelines for EV batteries, since the initial reports showcase serious defects in the batteries, which include designs of the modules and battery packs. NITI Aayog had previously also stressed the need for BIS standards in a discussion paper as the first step to making a national battery swapping policy. The government-constituted probe committee on EV fires’ primary findings has already recognised issues with battery cells or design in almost every electric two-wheeler fire incident in India. The committee had been constituted due to the increase in EV fires and battery blasts in e-scooters. Experts have found defects in battery cells and their design in almost every EV fire. The government is now establishing new quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles that will be public soon. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), given the responsibility of investigating these fire incidents by the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry, has found serious defects in the EV batteries. Image Source