EPA to Create Electrification Standards

Having given birth to a brand new industry, the electric vehicle and anything related to it is still engulfed in a shroud of mystery. From infrastructure to charging standards, the industry must do its best to create what it needs for the strong implementation of the EVs on the go.

Two years after it became obvious that electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is still hard at work trying to figure out the standards that will govern battery testing and automotive electrification.

In an effort meant to speed up the process, the EPA announced it would create an Integrated Battery Cycling System in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which will be in charge with creating the required standards.

To get the facility and process up and running, the EPA brought on board simulation and testing specialist AVL, who will provide the tools required for the batteries to be tested and standards to be created.

AVL will supply the EPA with the Lynx battery test automation platform, that will be used to shed some light into the blurry picture that is battery testing.

"We will provide the EPA with a battery test system that includes vehicle-simulation capabilities that allow maneuver-based testing at the battery level," said Phil Kingham, AVL director of Test Bed Systems. “The result will give OEMs and battery developers guidance to help create testing scenarios they can easily replicate in line with demanding automotive applications.”

According to the EPA, the new battery testing grounds will be completed and ready for action by the end of the year.