Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Résumé

This document proposes a new Federal motor vehicle safety standard that would establish requirements and test procedures which address safety issues exclusive to electric vehicles: Electrolyte spillage, post-crash retention of batteries in their mounts, and shock hazard. The standard would be based upon SAE J1766 FEB96 ``Recommended Practice for Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Battery Systems Crash Integrity Testing,'' and be known as Standard No. 305, ``Electric- powered vehicles: electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection.'' Test procedures would include the frontal barrier crash test of Standard No. 208, the side moving barrier crash test of Standard No. 214, and the rollover and rear moving barrier crash tests of Standard No. 301. However, as proposed, the standard would not apply to low-speed electric vehicles regulated by Standard No. 500, and the agency is asking for comment on this issue.