What is battery safety testing?

Battery safety testing ensures the safety and reliability of the batteries used in a growing range of applications such as transportation, renewable energy, grid storage, grid balancing, backup applications and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Also the safety and reliability of electric cars, rail and marine applications and aerospace transportation depends on the quality of its batteries.

Why is battery safety testing important?

Working with an expert partner to ensure the safety, reliability and consequently quality of your battery provides multiple benefits for manufacturers:

• Stay ahead of the development with experts who are at the forefront of the rechargeable battery industry

• Save time and money with reliable tests that reduce warranty claims, time to market and R&D activities

• Gain customer confidence by providing best quality and safe batteries for various industries

TÜV SÜD is a leading global expert in testing battery cells, modules and packs

TÜV SÜD is your trusted battery testing expert. Our holistic approach and commitment to safety will optimise the reliability of your battery and other energy storage devices products. We are known as a neutral and independent third-party technical service provider, with a focus on delivering value to stakeholders rather than shareholders.

Through our expanding network of laboratories throughout North America, Germany, China, Korea, Japan and Singapore, we are ready to serve the needs of customers. This global testing network provides the full range of testing services and validation planning. Out interdisciplinary expertise will add value to your product development and you can also rely on our global network of experts for international market access and in-country experience.

Our laboratories are fully equipped to support various tests

Performance testing

• TÜV SÜD has cell and pack channels that can perform testing of hybrid and electric car batteries, modules and cells.

Abuse testing, Examples:

• SAE J 2464

• US Freedom car

• UN38.3

• IEC 62660

• Customised tests

Environmental tests

• Thermal shock

• Temperature cycling  -55°C to +140°C

• Altitude simulation (UN38.3)

• Dust

• Humidity

• EMC

• IP testing

• Roll over test

• SO 16750

Special environmental tests

• Exposure to harmful gases

• Chemical exposure

• Salt water immersion testing of packs up to 3m length

Transport testing

• Environmental tests according to UN 38.3

TÜV SÜD’s battery safety testing services

Our battery testing services are applicable to an extensive range of applications such as electric vehicles, stationary batteries, rail and marine applications, 2-wheel vehicles, grid storage, grid balancing, backup applications, uninterruptable power supplies (UPS), e-bikes, off-road and aerospace. We provide:

Battery lifecycle testing

Verify how long your battery lasts and demonstrate the quality of the product to customers. Our tests include cycle life testing, battery environmental cycle testing and battery calendar life testing.

Battery abuse testing

Simulate extreme environmental conditions and scenarios to test your battery beyond its limits. Our range of tests includes but is not limited to:

• Nail penetration

• Overcharge / over discharge

• Short circuit

• Thermal stability

• Cycling without active cooling

• Crush / crash

• Drop

• Fire

• Immersion

• Gas analysis

Battery Performance Testing

Demonstrate the efficiency of your batteries. Our experts can customise testing programmes to suit specific customer requirements such as performance testing under various climatic conditions.

Battery environmental testing / Battery durability testing

Demonstrate the quality and reliability of your battery. Our tests include vibration, shock, EMC, thermal cycling, corrosion, dust, salt and humidity tests.

Battery transport testing

Ensure your batteries can be transported safely. We conduct tests for the United Nations requirements (UN 38.3) for the safe transportation of lithium batteries.

Dynamic impact test for electric vehicle batteries

A dynamic impact test simulates a real vehicle accident to determine the true safety performance of the battery when the car body is deformed. TÜV SÜD can perform dynamic impact tests for electric vehicle batteries and provide advice on the optimum test design. The tests are conducted at our crash test facility, which utilises impactors with variable mass and geometry.

Batteries are tested at all levels, with tests that cover investigations such as electrical, chemical, corrosive, mechanical and abuse. The standards that we test to include, but are not limited to:

• DOE/ID-11069

• DOE/ID-11173

• IEC 62660-1/2

• IEC 62133

• ISO 12405-1/2

• SAE J2464

• SAND 2005-3123

• SBA S1101

• UN 38.3

TÜV SÜD formulated and issued the standard PPP 59034A:2014 for RESS (Renewable energy storage systems) ahead of international standardisation organisations aimed at helping customers bridge gaps in current RESS standards.