U.S. National Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit Report Available - NFPA and SAE International Address Codes and Standards Issues

WARRENDALE, Pa., Jan. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and SAE International released a summary report from the co-hosted U.S. National Electric Vehicle Safety Standards Summit held in October that focused on how current codes and standards address safety and electrical infrastructure concerns related to electric vehicles .  The summary report prepared by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of NFPA, focuses on fundamental codes and standards issues as they pertain to electric vehicles in the areas of: vehicles; built infrastructure; and emergency responders.

The Summit gathered individuals, organizations and agencies to develop a common knowledge to ensure that the fire and electrical safety standards that impact electric vehicles and their supporting infrastructure will not serve as a barrier to their deployment. As a result, the information considered throughout the summit led to the identification of the three action plan considerations. They are: vehicle charging infrastructure; battery hazards identification and protection; and training for emergency responders and enforcement officials.

Plans for a similar follow-up summit are currently under consideration.    

NFPA launched an Electric Vehicle Safety Training project nationwide in 2010 to help firefighters and other first responders prepare for the growing number of electric vehicles on the road in the United States. The NFPA project, funded by a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, provides first responders with information they need to most effectively deal with potential emergency situations involving electric vehicles. Visit the Electric Vehicle Safety Training project website at www.evsafetytraining.org.

SAE International Ground Vehicle Standards Technical Committees are leading the vehicle transportation industry in the development of standards to provide the safe and effective implementation of hybrid/electric vehicles. SAE International standards play a key role in market access, reducing costs, increasing productivity, improving market position and advancing new technologies. To find out more about how SAE International is addressing the challenges of transportation connectivity visit the new vehicle electrification portal at http://www.EVSAE.COM

About NFPA

NFPA is a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

About SAE International

SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

www.sae.org

Contact: Shawn Andreassi of SAE International, 1-724-772-8522 or [email protected]

SOURCE SAE International