EU encourages electric car pick up with new safety rules

As a further step to promote the widespread use of electric cars across Europe, the European Union executive proposed on Tuesday that all member states should agree on common safety standards for electric vehicles.

These will help protect drivers from dangers such as electric shocks, as well as help define car insurance rates for electric vehicles in Europe.

Reuters reports that all 27 governments represented in the EU are being encouraged to adopt rules for electric vehicles proposed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. These rules would define the minimum insulation required for vehicles and propose standardised safety labels to make it easier for Europe's 500 million citizens to identify potential hazards, regardless of the car's manufacturer or locality.

Some of the risks associated with electric cars include shocks to drivers and passengers, as well as the build-up of hazardous gases. Following the agreement of electrical safety standards, the EU plans to introduce charging standards in 2011 followed by a review of car crash risks by 2012, which will enable insurers to offer reliable car insurance quotes to buyers of electric vehicles.

Manufacturers that have already dedicated resources to encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles include French automaker Renault, which has launched a project to lay out infrastructure for electric cars across roads in Denmark and Israel over the next year.

Carried out in conjunction with California's Better Place, the infrastructure will help significantly towards readying the countries for electric car use. However, critics are wary that money and time will be wasted if safety standards are not agreed upon before their deployment - which may require the road infrastructure to be replaced if they are found to be unsuitable.

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:12:00 GMT