Government Announces Additional Battery Safety Norms From October 1
- The amendments include additional safety requirements for cells, BMS, on-board charger
- The new AIS 156 regulations will be applicable from October 1, 2022
- The amendments are being made based on suggestions by an expert committee
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) has announced it will be implementing additional safety requirements in the existing battery safety standards. The update comes in light of the recent spate of EV fires that left the industry and customer safety in the doldrums. Several people even lost their lives after multiple cases of EV battery explosions in the last few months. Given the grave situation, the government instituted an expert committee to investigate the matter. Based on the expert committee report, MoRTH has issued amendment 2 to AIS 156 safety standards for electric two-wheelers, quadricycles and four-wheelers. The additional safety standards will come into effect from October 1, 2022.
Also Read: Preliminary Findings Reveal Recent EV Fire Incidents Lacked Basic Safety System, Says Probe Panel
The expert committee has recommended additional safety requirements in the existing battery safety standards
The expert committee appointed includes Tata Narsingh Rao (Director, ARC', Hyderabad), and Shri M.K. Jain (Scientist - G, CFEES, DRDO), Dr. Arti Bhatt (Scientist-F, Additional Director, CFEES, DRDO), Dr. Subba Reddy (Principal Research Scientist, IISc, Bengaluru), Prof. L Umanand (Chair, DESE, IISc, Bangaluru), Dr. M. Srinivas (Scientis-E, NSTL, Vishakhapatnam), Prof. Devendra Jalihal (Head, C-BEEV, 11T Madras, Chennai) as members, to recommend additional safety requirements in the existing battery safety standards notified under CMV Rules.
The amendments include additional safety requirements related to battery cells, BMS, on-board charger, design of battery pack, thermal propagation due to internal cell short circuit leading to fire and more. Complete details on what changes are required at the production level are yet to be announced.
Also Read: India Plans To Penalise Companies, Mandate Recalls After EV Fires - Report
In addition to the amended safety standards, the ministry has also issued draft notification GSR 659 (E) dated 25th August 2022, to amend Sub-rule 4 of Rule 124 of Central Motor Vehicles Rule (CMVR) 1989, for mandating Conformity of Production (COP) for traction batteries used in electric vehicles. The government has invited all stakeholders for their comments and suggests over the next 30 days before the new amendments are mandated.
Latest News
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026Triumph Speed 400 And Tracker 400 Prices Cut By Up To Rs 7,000Triumph has revised prices of the Speed 400 and Tracker 400 receiving cuts of up to Rs 7,000, while the Scrambler 400 X gets a new colour option.1 min read
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026Kia Carens Clavis Line-Up Expanded With More Accessible Automatic VariantsThe HTE (O) and HTE (EX) variants of the Kia Carens Clavis will now come with a turbo DCT setup, while the former will also offer a diesel automatic version.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026Petrol Dealers Call For Rs 5 MDR Charge Exemption On UPI Payments; Will Consider Going Cash-Only For Payments Over Rs 2,000Dealers say that the Rs 5 charge on UPI payments of over Rs 2,000 will eat into their earnings.1 min read
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026Royal Enfield Flying Flea C6 Gets New Parachute White ColourRoyal Enfield’s electric motorcycle brand Flying Flea has added a new Parachute White colour to the C6, giving the electric motorcycle a third colour option in India.1 min read
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026MG M9, Cyberster Now Offered With BaaS: Prices Start At Rs 69.99 LakhOpting for the BaaS scheme enables buyers to save up to Rs 10 lakh on the upfront costs.1 min read
car&bike Team | Sep 17, 2026TVS Apache Range Updated With New Variants And Features Ahead Of Festive SeasonTVS Motor has updated its Apache range with new safety and connectivity features for the RTR 160, RTR 160 4V and RTR 200 4V, while the flagship 310s get new Black Diamond editions.2 mins read
Preetam Bora | Sep 16, 2026Royal Enfield Himalayan 440 Review: Better Than the 450?The new Himalayan 440 with an upsized engine and gearbox has certainly improved as a touring machine and at an extremely attractive price of Rs. 2.29 Lakh. Is it the better Himalayan to choose for many riders?9 mins read
Seshan Vijayraghvan | Sep 15, 2026BMW i5 LWB Review: Not The M60, This Is The Proper Electric 5 SeriesThe BMW i5 LWB takes the electric 5 Series formula and puts a stronger focus on rear-seat comfort and long-distance luxury. With a 669 km claimed range, 268 bhp and a more relaxed character, is this the i5 that makes the most sense for India?7 mins read
Preetam Bora | Sep 14, 2026Ladakh Uncharted: Himalayan Basecamp Off-Road Ride ExperienceA day-long off-road excursion from Royal Enfield’s Himalayan Basecamp event in Ladakh, the Ladakh Uncharted ride by Alpinestars was all about re-discovery!6 mins read
Janak Sorap | Sep 12, 2026New Bajaj Pulsar 125 First Ride Review: More Tech, Less Weight, Same Pulsar DNAThe new Bajaj Pulsar 125 retains the familiar Pulsar identity but gets a new engine, lighter construction, more features and a sharper riding experience.5 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Sep 10, 2026Mahindra XEV 9S Review: 3 Reasons To Buy It, And 3 Reasons To AvoidEveryone keeps telling me that the Mahindra XEV 9S is not the electric XUV 7XO. I disagree.1 min read