Electromobility is already present and is an integral part of the path towards climate neutrality. Although trust in this technology is not yet fully established, this is a natural process of adaptation and familiarization with innovations. Every innovation brings numerous opportunities and potential challenges. Gaining knowledge is crucial to make the most of it and minimize risks. Milan Milojević, Head of the Vehicle Department at the Road Traffic Safety Agency, explains how the public, future users, and professionals working with these vehicles are gradually becoming familiar with the new technology and what the Agency is doing to provide necessary training and preparation.
Q: Can you tell us more about the Electric Vehicle Safety project presented by the Road Traffic Safety Agency?
A: With the growing popularity of environmental protection in the Republic of Serbia, great efforts are being made to reduce exhaust emissions, especially those that increase the greenhouse effect and directly contribute to global warming. With the continuous development of society and the economy, more and more people are turning to alternative and renewable energy sources. In the transportation sector, a large number of vehicles use alternative fuels such as LPG, CNG, and others. With the development of the automotive industry, electric and hybrid vehicles are being introduced, offering a promising compromise between the necessary reduction of exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. However, electric vehicles represent a completely different technology than internal combustion engines. This means there are new challenges for traffic safety, primarily related to the characteristics of high-power electrical equipment.
The Electric Vehicle Safety project aims to, through various educational forms such as expert gatherings or appropriate literature, introduce electric and hybrid vehicles to all parties involved in handling these vehicles as part of their job. These include primarily emergency services like firefighters, emergency medical services, and the police.
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Q: The Road Traffic Safety Agency is also preparing guidelines for the safer use of electric and hybrid vehicles. Can you tell us more about these guidelines?
A: Four guidelines for the safe use of electric and hybrid vehicles have been created as part of the project. The first guideline is intended for emergency services to help them handle these vehicles after traffic accidents. The second guideline pertains to preparing electric and hybrid vehicles for technical inspection and is meant for their owners. The third guideline provides instructions for service technicians and tire repairers when working on these vehicles. The fourth guideline covers technical inspection procedures for electric and hybrid vehicles in categories M1, N1, and L.
In addition to creating the guidelines, the Road Traffic Safety Agency organized an expert gathering focused on electric vehicles for 120 technical inspection controllers. The second expert gathering on the same topic is underway, bringing together another 400 controllers.
Q: Do technicians undergo special training to work on electric vehicles? What equipment is available for this purpose?
A: The number of electric vehicles is increasing yearly, and these vehicles have not yet been singled out as a category in the Rulebook on Technical Inspections. Therefore, no legal regulation requires controllers to attend and complete training related to these vehicles. Given the significant increase in the use of electric cars, the Road Traffic Safety Agency believes it is necessary and valuable to provide answers to many questions related to this area.
As already mentioned, electric vehicles represent a completely different technology from internal combustion engines, and new challenges related to the characteristics of high-power electrical equipment significantly complicate the job for controllers.
In addition to the usual personal protective equipment prescribed by the Rulebook on Technical Inspections and other legal acts related to occupational safety and health, electrical protective gloves, high-resistance insulating footwear, and eye protection are recommended for work on high-voltage systems. Of course, this additional equipment should be used following instructions to ensure its effectiveness.
Interview by Katarina Vuinac
Read the whole interview in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine ECOLOGICAL TRANSPORT
