Electric Cars To Be Shockproof, New International Regulations

New rules for electric or hybrid cars include protection against electric shock, high temperatures, and gas exposure.
Electric Cars To Be Shockproof, New International Regulations
3/14/2010
Updated:
3/14/2010
New rules for electric or hybrid cars include protection against electric shock, high temperatures, and gas exposure. Forty-one countries adopted the regulations—the first international safety standards for electric cars.

The strict new regulations will be imposed by the end of 2010, according to the vehicle regulatory body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

While conventional passenger cars are equipped with 12 volt batteries, hybrid and fully electric vehicles are powered with batteries typically between 140 to 400 volts. Hazardous situations may occur in the case of an accident, during servicing, or improper handling of the high voltage system in the vehicle.

The new regulations require all types of electric vehicles, hybrid, plug-in, as well as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to conform to electric safety standards, according to a statement from the UNECE Geneva office last week.

Most European countries, Russia, the Balkan countries, and several Asian countries are included in the UNECE regulatory network. The United States and Canada are not in the network. However, U.S. manufacturers that intend to sell their cars in countries within the network must comply with the new regulations.

By the end of 2012, all new vehicles sold in countries within the network shall conform to the new regulations, said Juan Ramos-Garcia, chief of Vehicle Regulations and Transport Innovations Section, a United Nations authority.

Vehicle manufacturers that have “type approval” for their products may boost their sales. Type approval is the process involving verification that ensures that the vehicles, their systems, and components, conform to the stipulated standards.

The European Commission welcomes the new regulations, saying they facilitate the introduction of safe green cars on the road, which is expected to increase exponentially over the coming years.

The technical rules were adopted at the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations March session.