Panasonic Receives UL's First E-Bike Electrical System Safety Certification

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Jan. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a leading safety science company, announced today that an e-bike was certified to a new North American safety Standard, UL 2849, the Standard for Electrical Systems for eBikes.

Innovations in sustainable transportation in the form of e-mobility, or micromobility, have grown rapidly in the past decade. To keep pace with this evolving technology, UL has launched a new voluntary safety certification program to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Standards Council of Canada (SCC) accredited electric bicycle system safety binational standard, ANSI/CAN/UL 2849.

Panasonic, a global manufacturer of batteries for automotive and e-bicycles, became the first organization to certify to UL 2849 on Jan. 3, 2020, for their GXO and GXL models, BEP-NUA251F and  BEP-NUA252F series.

Panasonic has worked with UL's engineers and laboratory technicians globally on the product safety evaluation and testing, ultimately achieving UL 2849 certification of its e-bicycles.

"Riders can have peace of mind that the products and components they rely on meet and exceed the strictest industry standards," said Tom Juliano, director of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at Panasonic Corporation of North America.

UL evaluated the Panasonic e-bike's product design and tested per the test requirements of ANSI/CAN/UL 2849, which addresses the battery system, charging system, electric motors and other electrical parts. Evaluation, testing and certification to UL 2849 by UL aims to minimize risks from e-bike system fires or explosions, such as lithium battery thermal runaway, as well as electric shock hazards. The UL 2849 certification program includes: 

• Product design review requires robust evaluations of the battery system, charger system, battery protective circuitry, system protective circuitry, electrical drive train system and variations in the system combinations per the consensus requirements of UL 2849.
• Electrical, environmental, functional and mechanical safety testing per the test clauses of UL 2849 in order to minimize the risk of fire and electric shock of the e-bike product.
• The UL 2849 certification program does not evaluate for the operator's ability to maintain control while riding and remains focused on system safety for fire, explosions and electric shock.

As interest in new types of micromobility devices has grown, so has interest by consumers, city planners, manufacturers and retailers in finding ways to incorporate them safely into daily life.

"UL has been involved with the trend of micromobility in recent years, creating electrical safety certification programs as new products come on the market," said Ghislain Devouge, UL's vice president and general manager for the Consumer Technologies business unit. "UL is excited to be part of the growth of e-bikes because it enables a fun alternative to traditional transportation, and it helps city planners reduce congestion creating sustainable, smart cities."

UL 2849 complements the previous UL standard that address micromobility, UL 2272, the Standard for Electrical Systems for Personal E-Mobility Devices. UL 2272 was previously developed as the national standard of the U.S. and Canada for electronic personal mobility devices. These include hoverboards, e-skateboards, e-scooters and e-transporters.  UL issues test reports and certifications to both Standards. In addition, UL leads initiatives globally for micromobility to help manufacturers and commercial sharing service companies achieve international market access.

UL continues to research and test safety issues related to micromobility and e-bicycles. Read more about our programs and test offerings at www.ul.com/micromobilityor contact UL for more details.

About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for more than 125 years. Its more than 14,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit http://www.UL.com.

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SOURCE UL