New Safety Standard Set for Electric Vehicles

Public Roads, Jan, 2001

DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a new federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) to prevent deaths or injuries when an electric vehicle is involved in a crash.

The new standard, FMVSS No. 305, "Electric-Powered Vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection," will be effective Oct. 1, 2001. It applies to all vehicles that use more than 48 volts of electricity as propulsion power and that have a maximum speed of more than 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour). However, it will not apply to electric vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).

Standard No. 305 specifies requirements for limitation of hazardous electrolyte spillage, for the retention of propulsion batteries during a crash so that they do not intrude into the passenger compartment, and for the isolation of the chassis from the high-voltage system to prevent electrical shock. Tests to demonstrate compliance can be combined with other crash tests.