Introduction
Over the past decade, India has witnessed significant growth in the electric vehicle industry. Major automotive manufacturers have launched a range of electric vehicles, from two-wheelers and three-wheelers to passenger cars and commercial vehicles. While the electric vehicle industry’s growth is promising, it brings a set of unique challenges.
Incidents of Electric Vehicle Fires in India
There have been multiple fire incidents in electric vehicles in India in the past couple of years with these incidents seeing extensive coverage among Indian social media and news channels, resulting in the government and OEMs taking prompt action. These occurrences are mainly linked to the substantial energy concentration found in electric vehicle battery packs, which efficiently store a significant amount of energy within a limited area. When the battery pack sustains damage, it can initiate an internal short circuit that sets off a sequence of events referred to as thermal runaway. In this sequence, the battery produces more heat than it can effectively disperse, ultimately resulting in a fire. Such incidents underscore the pressing need for stringent flame-retardant standards in the automotive industry.
Need for Flame Retardant Standards
Considering the nature of the fires, vehicles should be equipped with fire-resistant materials to prevent or delay the spread of fire, giving occupants crucial extra moments to evacuate safely. Flame retardant standards can help mitigate these risks by reducing the intensity and spread of fires.
In the backdrop of the reported electric vehicle fire incidents, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway had earlier issued amendments to comply to AIS 156 and AIS 038 Rev.2.
Flame retardants are very effective in achieving this mandate. The use of flame retardants in critical components of electric vehicles, such as batteries, charging apparatus, electric motors, and electronics, plays a crucial role in preventing fires and ensuring safety, emphasizing the need for their incorporation and enforcement in Indian standards for overall vehicle safety.
The need for flame retardant standards in electric vehicles becomes further evident due to the following reasons:
- High Voltage and Energy Density: Electric vehicles operate at higher voltages than conventional vehicles, which increases the potential severity of electrical fires. Additionally, lithium-ion batteries store a significant amount of energy, making them more challenging to manage in the event of a fire.
- Battery Compartment Design: Properly designed battery compartments with flame-retardant materials are essential to contain and mitigate the effects of a battery fire.
- Charging Infrastructure Safety: Flame retardant standards should also extend to charging infrastructure to prevent accidents during charging.
