EU Regulators Mull over Draft Law on Capacity Labelling of Batteries

Nguồn: 中鼎检测 Ngày: 2010-10-11 Duyệt qua: 9373

Recently, The Council of the EU recently made available an early draft of a European Commission Regulation on the capacity labelling of batteries, or to be more specific, portable secondary (rechargeable) and automotive batteries and accumulators. The purpose of the capacity label is explained in the draft text as providing useful, easily understandable and comparable information for end-users when purchasing automotive batteries and accumulators.

Once this draft Regulation is approved, portable secondary (rechargeable) and automotive batteries and accumulators will have to be manufactured with a label which clearly indicates the capacity level of the battery or accumulator, and the label itself will have to contain specific information in relation to the capacity of the batteries and accumulators which itself is to be determined according to International Electrotechnical (IEC) standards. In addition, the minimum size and location of the capacity label are provided for in the draft text.It should also be noted that the draft Regulation expressly excludes from its scope of application portable secondary batteries and accumulators which are incorporated or designed to be incorporated into appliances before being provided to end-users and not intended to be removed.

A number of specific requirements as to the labelling of the capacity are laid down in the draft Regulation, as follows:

● The capacity level of portable secondary (rechargeable) and automotive batteries and accumulators is to be determined according to the standards of the IEC, the application of which depends on the chemical substances contained in the batteries or accumulators.

● The units of measurement of the capacity of such batteries and accumulators are 'Ampere hours' (Ah) or 'milli-Ampere hours' (mAh).

● The information to be contained on the label and the design of the label itself are set out. For portable secondary (rechargeable) batteries and accumulators the rated capacity is to be set out in a specific numerical format depending on the substance contained in the battery or accumulator and the intended application of the batteries or accumulators in question.

● For these types of batteries and accumulators, the minimum size and location of the capacity labels is set out both for individual batteries and accumulators and for battery packs.

● For automotive batteries and accumulators the capacity label is to contain information as to the rated capacity and cold cranking performance. Again, the minimum size and location of the labels for these is set out.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The requirements to be brought in by the future Regulation will apply to portable secondary (rechargeable) and automotive batteries and accumulators placed on the market 18 months after the Regulation becomes binding law by being published in the Official Journal of the EU. This "grace period" of 18 months should, it is expected, give manufacturers time to adapt their processes accordingly.