December 22, 2011 – In the last several years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of electric and hybrid electric vehicles. With many more of these cars on the roadway, implementing safety codes and standards associated with these vehicles remains paramount.
The Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), released a report on the findings from the Second Annual Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit held September 27-28 in Detroit, Michigan. More than 140 fire and electric safety professionals gathered at the meeting to review and refine the current implementation plan for electric vehicles and identify and address any obstacles related to fire and electrical safety standards.
Co-hosted by NFPA and SAE International, the second Summit is a continuation of the dialogue from the original Summit held in October 2010 that focused on building infrastructure supporting electrical vehicles and the concerns of the emergency response community, in addition to safety-related codes and standards issues.
“As the number of electric vehicles on U.S. roadways continues to grow, it is imperative to formulate action plans, develop training and fill any gaps within related codes and standards,” said Christian Dubay, P.E., NFPA vice president of codes and standards, and chief engineer. “Stakeholders made significant progress in addressing these areas at the second Summit, but there’s still more work to be done.”
Participants at this year’s Summit included vehicle designers, battery manufacturers, emergency responders, charging station suppliers, public utilities, facility insurers and salvage operators. They identified four key issues that will serve as the basis for future research, planning and implementation including battery hazard research, electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and electrical load standardization, comprehensive stakeholder involvement, and vehicle and component standardization. Other key areas include training and education, and data analysis.
For more information about the 2011 Summit and to download the report, visit the reports and proceedings page of the Foundation’s website or www.evsafetytraining.org/summit.
Learn more about NFPA’s national Electric Vehicle Safety Training Project.
About SAE
SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International’s core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International’s charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series. Visit SAE International’s website for additional information.
About the Fire Protection Research Foundation
The Fire Protection Research Foundation plans, manages, and communicates research on a broad range of fire safety issues in collaboration with scientists and laboratories around the world. The Foundation is an affiliate of NFPA.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
