Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the U.S. company responsible for developing product safety tests, is revamping the lithium-ion battery standards.
Over the past couple of years, lithium-ion batteries being used in vehicles and airplanes have gathered negative attention over failures leading to fires. The company has stated that it has developed a more rigorous test in hopes of preventing short circuits inside the battery cell that can lead to a fire. In addition, UL is refining the safety and testing standards for larger batteries used in vehicles.
Since March 2012, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented over 350 fires related to lithium-ion batteries. UL has been working with officials at NASA and Oak Ridge National Laboratories to develop its internal short test.
The global market for lithium-ion batteries is expected to double by 2016 as more and more hybrid and electric vehicles rely on the technology.
[Source: Automotive News]
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