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Electric Vehicle Testing

Testing and certification in the electric vehicle landscape

From a testing and certification perspective, electric vehicles bring together two previously separate worlds: the automotive industry (ISO standards) and the electrical industry (IEC standards).

Testing related to electric vehicles goes beyond homologation testing for the vehicles and their components.It also covers the charging interfaces and the associated systems that enable EVs, charging stations and back-office systems to communicate with one another.

An introduction to electric vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) actually first appeared in the late 19th century, but subsequently lost out to the internal combustion engine. Now, however, many decades later, the e-mobility trend is really gathering pace. So why is the tipping point occurring now? The transition to EVs is being accelerated by three factors:
  • Tighter environmental legislation (restrictions on CO2 emissions imposed on vehicle manufacturers and vehicle owners)
  • Technological advancements (e.g. cheaper and more powerful batteries, and infrastructure for faster charging)
  • Changing consumer behavior (growing environmental awareness and acceptance of EVs)
The shift to EVs is forcing car manufacturers to develop new hybrid and full-electric vehicle models. In the coming years, over 300 new full-EV models are expected to be launched in Europe alone.

Testing and certifying Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle (EV) testing goes way beyond homologation testing for the vehicles and their components. It also covers the charging interfaces and the associated systems that enable EVs, charging stations and back-office systems to communicate with one another, known as interoperability or conformance testing. Battery packs and the modules they are made of, containing large numbers of battery cells, are a source of energy that can be a potential hazard and, consequently, must be tested too. Additionally, the conformance testing of all electrical
components such as plugs, cables, connectors, wiring and switches are an important step in electric vehicle testing as well.
DEKRA’s scope for Electric Vehicle Testing:
  • Electrical safety testing
  • Performance testing
  • Conformance and interoperability testing
  • Functional safety testing
  • EMC testing
  • Wireless testing
  • Cyber security testing
  • Software testing
  • Environmental & stress testing
  • Chemical testing

EV Batteries Testing

In order to increase the range of electric vehicles, battery packs are becoming larger and as a result heavier and the new battery technology is promising higher energy density. Both trends pose an ever-greater potential safety hazard. At DEKRA, we offer a wide range of testing and certification solutions for battery cells and battery modules, as well as homologation testing for manufacturers at both full-vehicle and component level.
DEKRA’s EV battery-related services include:
  • Functional safety (ISO 26262)
  • Electrical safety (EN 50604, ISO 18243, , IEC 62660)
  • Performance testing (ISO 12405, ISO 18243, ISO 15118, IEC 62660)
  • Environmental testing
  • Development testing
  • Validation testing
  • Homologation testing (R100, UN 38.3, R10)
    Certification (CB, KEMA-KEUR, DEKRA Seal, NRTL etc.)

EV charging interface, electronics & components testing

Electric vehicle covers a very broad spectrum of technology and equipment. Electronics components can be combined with mechanical automotive parts. From a testing point of view this means that a wider variety of standards may be relevant.
Thanks to our heritage, at DEKRA we have extensive experience of both industry standards, automotive and electrical. From plugs, cables and connectors to wiring, switches, inverters and converters, DEKRA’s experts can advise you on the right testing and certification approach in your situation.
DEKRA’s EV charging interface, electronics & components services include:
  • Electrical safety testing (ISO 17409, ISO 6469-3)
  • Interoperability and conformance testing (ISO 15118)
  • EMC testing (IEC 61851-21-2)
  • Functional safety testing (ISO 26262)
  • Development testing
  • Validation testing
  • Environmental testing (ISO 16750, ISO 19453)
  • ‘Connected car’ services