UL Assists Better Place with Safety Compliance Needed to Bring Highly Visible Electric Taxi Project to Japan

By leveraging its existing knowledge and presence in the local market, UL helped the taxi project's battery supplier, A123 Systems, prove that the switchable NanophosphateTM lithium-ion batteries, proposed for this project, comply with the safety requirements needed for Better Place's battery switch stations. UL's knowledgeable, professional support resulted in electrolyte and other battery classifications.

UL enabled the process to analyze and classify that the lithium-ion batteries for this highly visible taxi project met safety requirements, says Kiyotaka Fujii, president of Better Place Japan and head of business development, Asia-Pacific. UL's unparalleled expertise, worldwide network of engineers and timely technical assistance were instrumental in bringing together both the public and private sectors and helping assure the relevant authorities that our project met established requirements for safety.

Applying more than a century of experience in safety testing and certification, UL supports the advancement of the EV industry by developing safety standards for batteries and infrastructure components and working with regulatory authorities to identify and address safety and environmental concerns.

Industry analysts forecast that in 2020, approximately 14 million electric vehicles will be sold in China, Japan, the United States and Western Europe[1], said Jeff Smidt, UL's vice president for global energy. When new technologies rapidly gain market share, it is important to address potential fire, electric shock and other safety hazards that otherwise may be overlooked. UL is working with government regulators, infrastructure developers and manufacturers to make sure that safety is an important consideration wherever electric vehicles are used.

UL offers a wide range of services globally for different types of battery chemistries ranging from lithium-ion to lead-acid, nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium. As the leading developer of safety standards for electric vehicles, including those related to electric car batteries, UL involves various stakeholders in developing safety requirements for electric vehicles and charging systems to protect consumers and support more sustainable transportation options around the world.