H.E.L Group Validates Battery Testing To Comply With Stringent Regulations in China

H.E.L Group (H.E.L), a developer and manufacturer of laboratory tools for process optimization, safety and scale-up, today announced full regulatory compliance for the company’s battery testing protocols and equipment in China. Considered the most stringent in the world, the new compulsory Chinese standards are designed to further raise and optimize the technical requirements for lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery safety and the associated battery packs for electric vehicles (EV), with a focus on mechanical, electrical and thermal stress.

China became the world's largest new energy vehicle market in 2015. It sold 1.2 million new energy vehicles in 2019, accounting for over half of all-electric vehicle sales worldwide. First announced in 2019 and set to be enforced from January 2021, the incoming regulations are China's first mandatory standards applied to Li-ion batteries including use in the rapidly growing field of EVs. With a focus on electrical safety and functional safety, and an increase in the requirements for thermal event alarm signaling in battery systems, the regulations should for example, ensure drivers of EVs and their passengers are provided with adequate safety warnings. The standards also put higher requirements on battery safety and emphasize an improvement in battery system tests covering thermal diffusion, external fire, mechanical shock, simulated collision and humidity cycling, external short circuit, and overheating.

To ensure H.E.L’s compliance, the company has undertaken a thorough review of the guidelines to understand the implications for its specific areas of testing and technology, and also for customers, to be able to advise and ensure their compliance. This has resulted in a software and hardware development program, including an update to the data acquisition capabilities of H.E.L’s battery testing system to meet the high data capture rate mandated by the regulations. Accompanying the regulations, H.E.L has bolstered their support infrastructure for Chinese customers, with dedicated local sales and technical representatives.

Although currently applicable to manufacturers based in China, it is anticipated that the new Li-ion testing procedures will need to be adopted by all companies selling batteries into China, and could become a benchmark standard for all international battery manufacturers.

Steven Chen, H.E.L’s General Manager China, commented: “In China, we have more than one hundred EV companies all vying to develop high-efficiency Li-ion batteries and EV battery packs. They will all be required to respond to these more rigorous regulations, and we are now very well-placed to support them in addressing this challenge not only with new product development but also mandatory compliance.”

Joseph Willmot, Application Leader at H.E.L Group added: “The race is on to have electric cars and trucks with similar performance to petrol-powered versions. Development of safe, next-generation, high-capacity and high-performance batteries is critical for any EV manufacturer looking to dominate in this market. Other markets outside of China, including the EU, are also trying to manage their regulations regarding battery development which are no longer considered fit for purpose as the emphasis on sustainability and EVs grows.”