Transportation of small vehicles powered by lithium batteries

Classification of small vehicles that are powered by lithium-ion batteries when they are transported as cargo.

Smallvehicleswith a lithium battery, this, air wheel, mono wheel, gyro scooter, electric scooter, electric bike and diving power plants should be classified according to  A 3171, as a battery-powered vehicle, or  A 3481, Lithium-ion batteries contained in equipment having hazard class 9.

In the special provision A214, which is fixed in the ruleA 3171"Battery-powered vehicle" defines the concept associated with the classification of "vehicles" powered by internal combustion engines, fuel cells and batteries, as well as "equipment" powered by lithium batteries.

The current wording of special provision A214 in the 62nd edition of the GPR is as follows:

• A214 (388)A 3166They are applied to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines using flammable liquids or flammable gases or fuel cells.
• Vehicles powered by a fuel cell engine must be assigned to the rulesA 3166"A vehicle, a fuel cell, a combustible gas, brought into conformity with a combustible gas" orA 3166"Vehicle, fuel cell, flammable liquid", depending on the circumstances. These entries include hybrid electric vehicles powered by both fuel cells and internal combustion engines with liquid batteries, sodium batteries, lithium-metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries carried with an installed battery(s).
• Other vehicles on which an internal combustion engine is installed must be assigned to the following positions:A 3166"A vehicle powered by flammable gas", orA 3166 "A vehicle running on a flammable liquid", depending on the circumstances. These entries include hybrid electric vehicles powered by both an internal combustion engine and liquid batteries, sodium batteries, lithium-metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries carried with the battery(s) installed.
• If the vehicle is powered by an internal combustion engine running on flammable liquid and flammable gas, it must be attributed to the ruleA 3166"A vehicle powered by flammable gas."

A 3171applies only to vehicles powered by liquid batteries, sodium batteries, lithium metal batteries or lithium ion batteries, and equipment powered by wet batteries or sodium batteries transported with these batteries installed.

For the purposes of this document, vehicles are self-propelled vehicles designed to transport one or more persons or goods.

Examples of such vehicles are passenger cars, motorcycles, scooters, three- and four-wheeled vehicles or motorcycles, trucks, locomotives, bicycles (pedal bicycles with an engine) and other vehicles of this type (for example, self-balancing vehicles or vehicles not equipped with at least one seat), disabled strollers, lawn tractors, self-propelled agricultural and construction equipment, boats and aircraft.

This includes vehicles transported in packaging in this case, some parts of the vehicle may be separated from it, for embedding in the container.

Examples of equipment are lawn mowers, sweepers, or boat models and airplane models.

Equipment powered by lithium metal batteries or lithium-ion batteries should be attributed to the record

• A 3091lithium-metal batteries contained in the equipment, orA 3091lithium-metal batteries packed with equipment, or;
• A 3481lithium-ion batteries contained in the equipment orA 3481lithium-ion batteries packed with equipment as needed.

Lithium-ion batteries or lithium-metal batteries installed in a cargo transport unit intended only to provide electricity to an external cargo transport unit must be attributed to the rule A 3536, lithium batteries installed in the cargo transport unit.

Classification

Since these small vehicles powered by lithium batteries meet the definition of “vehicles” set out in Special Regulation A214, and since they are powered by a lithium-ion battery, the correct classification for these small vehicles isA 3171, a battery-powered car.Therefore, they must be packed in accordance with packing instruction 952.

There are several important points regarding the use ofA 3171for these small vehicles:

1. lithium cells and batteries must be of a type that has successfully passed the applicable tests in subsection 38.3 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria and has a formalized UN 38.3 Test Summary Report- a document with summary data that confirms that the batteries have been tested for compliance with UN 38.3 safety requirements;
2. assignment toA 3171does not contain any exceptions to the full application of the Rules, i.e. there are no exceptions for vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries with less than 100 watts;
3. weightnetrequired in the shipper's Declaration forA 3171, is equal to the net weight of the entire vehicle. There are no restrictions on the weight of the lithium-ion battery in the vehicle or in the package, and there is no difference in net quantity only between passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft;
4. if the lithium battery is removed from the vehicle and packed separately from the vehicle in the same outer packaging, then according to Packing Instruction 952, the classification becomesA 3481, lithium-ion batteries are used, packed with equipment andPacking instructions 966, orA 3091, lithium metal batteries are used, packed with equipment andPacking instructions 969.

When preparing for the transportation of these goods, it is recommended to immediately contact the shippers of these goods to make sure that the shippers are aware of the classification requirement under the numberA 3171and have all the necessary documents.