The importance of EV Battery Tray Inspection in ensuring high quality electric vehicles

The battery is by far the most expensive part of an EV and the most important part as well. It is the energy source. It determines the vehicle’s driving range. It defines the charging capabilities. And it decides the cost of the vehicle as well. The battery is what eliminates an EV’s dependence on fossil fuels.

This is why inspection of the EV battery as well as the EV battery tray is critical.

Why is EV Battery Tray Testing important?

It is the main structural element of the whole system, and helps prevent physical damage to batteries and keeps them secure. The right battery tray is the perfect blend of low weight and high rigidity, and can have a significant influence on the efficiency of an EV. Therefore, testing and inspecting a battery tray assumes greater significance.

What does EV battery tray inspection involve?

1. Leakage Testing

The battery tray is checked for leakage. Battery trays are sealed to prevent fluid ingress into the Battery Pack. Fluid leaking into the battery pack could be devastating to the vehicle. Lithium-Ion batteries, which power EVs, react negatively to fluid – in some cases, even causing the vehicle to catch on fire. The battery pack operates at high voltage and water and humidity may generate short circuits, causing the battery to become overloaded and overheated. The leak test ensures the battery is safe to operate at high voltage.

2. Thermal Expansion Inspection

Another inspection performed is to check for thermal expansion of the battery pack during charging and driving. This is important as it is a measure of whether the car can withstand shock and vibration. If not checked, it can lead to torsion and bending in the tray. Non-contact optical laser scanners are usually used in this inspection.

3. Rivets & Welds Inspection

The EV battery tray is integrated with the car body through welded bolts. A battery tray around 80 kg in weight, about 4m long, and has more than 500 rivets and 100 welds involved in the assembly. Therefore during the inspection, the size and location of these connection points are checked to ensure the welds are strong enough to take load forces during driving, charging, and in case of impact. This type of inspection is automated to reduce the chance of inspection errors. Welds are inspected for width and length tolerances, and rivets for flatness tolerance.

The Battery Tray test is one of the most technically challenging applications when it comes to EVs and therefore it is important to understand which test method suits your unique needs.
Over the years, Blue Star E&E has built a reputation for our unique technology solutions, especially in the automotive industry. We have extended our range of inspection solutions for the entire value chain of the electric vehicle. That includes intensive testing of batteries and battery trays. Learn more about our EV solutions, and give our experts a call to understand more.