How can compliance testing make e-Bike batteries safer?

As with any electrical device, manufacturers of E-bikes and E-bike batteries have to comply with various safety regulations before their products are signed off for distribution. E-bike battery safety compliance involves verifying that the battery can withstand normal working conditions without any faults, like electrical shocks, short circuits, fires, and other problematic outcomes. These norms ultimately serve the end consumer, as they receive a fully usable product that won’t put them in harm’s way. Additionally, some most probable faults  (single fault state) are often also tested and require battery to not compromise safety even with such failure. For more information on compliance testing for e-bike batteries, read the article below.

The present battery safety standards for e-Bikes

With the goal of ensuring full operational safety, battery safety standards for E-bikes are established through stringent guidelines that ensure all components, from the Li-ion battery cells to the BMS, meet rigorous safety requirements. As Li-ion batteries are what’s most commonly found in modern battery systems in these devices, we’ll focus on their case specifically. The relevant standards include:

• UL 2271 & UL 2849: The former covers battery safety for light electric vehicles, whereas the latter extends to the complete E-bike electrical system safety. Both norms are widely recognized in North America.
• IEC 62133: Set forth by the International Electrotechnical Commission, this international standard establishes safety requirements for Li-ion batteries.
• UN 38.3: Established by the United Nations, this battery safety standard is required globally for safe battery transportation.
• EN 15194: designed for E-bikes specifically, this standard covers mechanical and electrical requirements to meet EU regulations for reliability and safety.
• EN 50604: more rigorous than IEC 62133 and EN 15194 or battery in light emobility (including eBike), will be most likely mandatory starting from 2025 in Europe.

Importantly, these standards aren’t just formalities—they’re critical to preventing failures that would compromise the safety of lithium-ion batteries, like overheating, short-circuiting, or even fires.

Of course, to pass these compliance checks and earn approval for market release, manufacturers have to perform equally rigorous testing procedures. We’ll tackle these next.

Compliance testing for e-Bike batteries

For E-bike batteries, compliance testing focuses on safety standards to protect users and enhance product reliability. While the procedures themselves will differ depending on the given safety standard they need to meet, all of them mandate rigorous testing across several dimensions. 

Listed below are the e-bike battery safety compliance criteria:

Electrical and mechanical safety

Generally, these testing procedures verify whether the E-bike battery manufacturer was able to create a product that withstands both normal and extreme operating conditions. Some testing procedures involve deliberate attempts to overcharge the E-bike battery, submit it to mechanical stress, or cause a short circuit.

Compliance with standards like IEC 62133 involves subjecting the batteries to electrical and basic mechanical tests, including sinusoidal vibrations, shock (similar like in UU 38.3) and drop test. Doing so works to verify it can maintain stable performance. Testing for UL2271 compliance requires testing the batteries, for example in simulated crush or random vibrations tests to make sure the product can be used without the risk of combustion. Specific requirements for key components (like proper flammability class) is also verified during UL 2271 certification.

Thermal resilience

Speaking of fire protection, batteries need to undergo relevant tests for thermal resilience to guarantee their operational safety in a range of temperatures and environments. Even basic regulatory requirements UN 38.3 covers that in Thermal cycling tests. Compliance testing includes submitting the system to extreme temperature fluctuations and checks for water and dust resistance, as these factors both impact battery longevity and simulate the unpredictability of real-world conditions.

Continuous compliance

While less of a test in itself and more of a general approach, to maintain compliance through the years, regular re-testing is needed if any change is applied to the product. Some certification requires regular production site and documentation checkups to ensure that there was no changes in components or assembly process that could impact scope of certification.

The takeaway

As you can see, compliance tests have been designed with the express purpose of responding to stringent norms. These E-bike battery safety standards don’t leave any room for error, as consumer safety is always the number one priority. As such, rigorous adherence to testing procedures is mandatory to erase all doubt regarding a battery pack’s operational safety, which contributes to the overall safety of the E-bike. 

You may also read: Can you put a bigger battery in your electric bike?