An Overview Of The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Electric Vehicle Developers In September of 1966, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was signed into law. This law directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) to which motor vehicle manufacturers must conform. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration {NHTSA) has been mandated to develop and enforce these standards. This document is intended to provide an overview of the safety considerations which must be addressed by the developers and manufacturers of ground-up design and conversion electric vehicles (EVs) under the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) EV and HEV Development Program.
Development of an EV Emergency Response Program In connection with recent trials of electric vehicles (EVs), local utilities (Southern California Edison and Los Angeles Water and Power), and original equipment manufacturers (Ford) met with fire officials in the Southern California area, and provided them with information on emergencyresponse procedures for incidents involving EVs. This report briefly summarizes responses of fire officials to information that they received, and presents their concerns in this area and suggestions for future information programs.
Discussion of Communication and Safety Concerns in RUF and in General The RUF (Rapid, Urban, Flexible) system is an example of a dual-mode rapid transit system. In its current development stages, the RUF utilizes vehicles that can travel both on paved roads as well as on a monorail or magnetic levitation system, commonly implemented in today's rapid transit prototypes. A dual-mode transportation system, such as the RUF system, is a very complex concept, and there are many issues and concerns that must be addressed and inexhaustibly researched before a design can be implemented.
Electric Vehicle Safety The objective of this project is to identify problems electric vehicles may encounter in complying with existing crashworthiness standards and determine potentially unique electric vehicle safety hazards that may require implementation of new standards.
Envirotech "We take safety in EV conversions to the extreme." Established in 1995, ENVIROTECHs Darrel Singleton brings with him 10 years of experience in the autobody industry and he is certified as an EV professional mechanic through the Electro Automotive Pro-Mech Program, a nationally known company in the EV business for 16 years. Darrel's background has enabled him to build electric vehicles with well thought out and carefully executed installations - structural integrity and safety are his top priorities. We are also active members of the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association which helps keeps us on top of the latest proven technology.
Government Car Regulations & Laws Links to: car regulations, car emissions regulations, car safety regulations, car fuel economy regulations, car speed limits, automotive regulations, auto regulations.
HEV Battery Safety Electrical Issues; Operational Issues; Crashworthiness Issues; Battery Safety; and Emergency Response.
HEV Flywheel Safety Safety Issues; Safety Measures; Bibliography; Organizations Working on Flywheel Development; Flywheel Energy Storage; and Web Site Hot Links.
HEV Flywheel Safety - Assumptions
How Conductive Charging Works - Safety Conductive charging uses the latest safety management technology and is safe to use in all weather conditions. The vehicle and charge station exchange important safety information before electricity flows from charge station to vehicle.
How Safe are EVs? Electric vehicles produced by major auto manufacturers must meet all the same safety standards as conventional vehicles. These requirements–the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)–are established by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.
Hybrid Vehicle Safety (Batteries and Flywheels) In general, Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are just as safe as today’s gasoline powered vehicles. This is because HEVs must adhere to the same strict federal motor vehicle safety standards as today’s conventional vehicles. However, because there are some differences in the components HEVs use, special designs must be considered and new codes created for HEVs [and electric vehicles (EVs)].
Hydrogen Emissions from EV Batteries Undergoing Charging in Residential Garages Certain types of batteries that are to be used in commercially available electric vehicles emit hydrogen gas during the charging process. Emission of hydrogen gas in the enclosed setting of a residential garage presents the potential for the accumulation of flammable concentrations. This study examined air concentrations of hydrogen as a function of hydrogen emission rate and vent size in a residential test garage. Hydrogen emissions were simulated by the controlled release of hydrogen in a test garage. Hydrogen concentrations also were measured during the charging of six electric vehicles.
National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety (NCVECS) WWW Site This WWW page is being provided as a public access to information about NCVECS as well as topics and issues related to mobile sources emissions, including but not limited to: light duty vehicle emissions research, On-Board Diagnostics II, automotive emissions repair tips, automotive technician training issues, Basic and Enhanced I/M inspection program issues, and Federal and State legislative activities related to this area.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the Department of Transportation, was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970, as the successor to the National Highway Safety Bureau, to carry out safety programs under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. It also carries out consumer programs established by the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, enacted in 1972. NHTSA is responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. This is accomplished by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicle equipment, and through grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs. NHTSA investigates safety defects in motor vehicles, sets and enforces fuel economy standards, helps states and local communities reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promotes the use of safety belts, child safety seats and air bags, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and enforces vehicle anti-theft regulations and provides consumer information on motor vehicle safety topics. NHTSA also conducts research on driver behavior and traffic safety , to develop the most efficient and effective means of bringing about safety improvements.
Reclamation of Automotive Batteries: Assessment of Health Impacts and Recycling Technology This final report for Task 1: Assessment of Recycling Technology provides an assessment of current electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling technology for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and CALSTART.
Safety First An excellent technical paper about electric vehicle safety by Bob Batson of Electric Vehicles of America, Inc. and Michael Beebe of EV Motor Sports. A must read.
Test Protocol for Measuring Magnetic Fields From Electric Vehicle Systems Within the foreseeable future, automobile manufacturers will be introducing electric vehicles(EVs) into the marketplace. Recent concerns with the presence of magnetic fields apparent in EV systems has emerged as a result. Some drivers will want to know the magnetic field levels they and their passengers will experience during trips in these vehicles. In addition, EV batteries will require periodic recharging, and vehicle owners and service station attendants alike may want to know levels of exposure during this essential operation. As such, the magnetic field environment should be of particular interest to EV designers and manufacturers who will want to assure their customers that EVs are safe to operate and maintain.
The Current Status of EV Safety: A Review of Issues, Regulations, and Programs For consumers the principle issue with any mode of transport is safety. This report of the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) is a comprehensive review of the safety of electric vehicles. The year 1996 witnessed increased consumer interest in this issue as GM introduced and advertised its initial electric vehicle, EV1, and several other manufacturers announced EV production models. Moreover, concerns about EV safety have been raised in numerous "anti-EV" advertisements and paid editorials sponsored by certain oil and auto companies. These allegations against EVs imply that widespread use of EVs will result in safety risks that exceed those of the current gasoline powered vehicle fleet.
Vehicle Crash Damage and Design Technology Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's advanced computer codes and facilities are used to predict vehicle crash damage and to design safer, lighter cars.
Vehicle Impact Simulation Animations These supercomputer simulations were performed and rendered at the NCAC. The original movies are 640x480 resolution, for output onto video tape. The files provided here are 320x240 to keep them from being too painful to download.
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Electric Vehicles - Page 1 | 2 | 3 Hybrid Vehicles - Page 1 | 2
Electric Vehicle Safety
Components (Motors, Motor Controllers, Batteries, Battery Chargers) - Page 1 | 2 | 3
Conversions/Kits | Design, Testing, and Evaluation | Infrastructure
Organizations/Associations/Mail Lists/Useful Links - Page 1 | 2
Electrathon Vehicle Design, Construction, Teams, and Events
Energy - General | Energy Conservation and Efficiency | Renewable Energy
Value/Benefits of Renewable Energy | Utility Integration of Renewables
Sustainable Development | Sustainable Tourism | Village Power/Rural Electrification
Energy Incentive Programs/Financing Alternatives
Energy Economics/Environmental Economics
Avoided Cost Determination/Externalities
Energy Facility Siting and Permitting
Energy and Environmental Education | Environmental Issues
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles | Solar Cars | Human Powered Vehicles
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David Rezachek