Directive 2014/35/EU is the European Union’s Low Voltage Directive (LVD), establishing safety requirements for electrical equipment operating within defined voltage ranges. It is one of the most broadly applicable EU product safety directives and covers a wide range of battery-related equipment including battery chargers, BMS electronics, BESS inverters, UPS systems, and battery-powered devices — making it a fundamental directive for battery system engineers targeting the European market.
Legislation type: EU Directive
Reference: Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council
In force: April 2016
UK equivalent: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/1101) — retained post-Brexit
Voltage scope: AC equipment: 50–1,000 V; DC equipment: 75–1,500 V
Scope
The LVD applies to electrical equipment designed for use with a supply voltage between 50 V and 1,000 V AC or 75 V and 1,500 V DC. In the battery domain, this covers the majority of battery chargers, inverters, BMS units, and battery packs for consumer, commercial, and light industrial applications. Battery systems operating at higher voltages (above 1,500 V DC) fall outside the LVD’s voltage range and must comply with other applicable regulations. Some battery categories — such as EV traction batteries subject to vehicle type approval — have specific exclusions or parallel regulatory pathways.
Key Requirements
Equipment must be designed and manufactured to the safety objectives of the directive, covering protection against hazards arising from the electrical equipment itself (shock, fire, thermal, energy release) and hazards caused by external influences on the equipment (mechanical, environmental). Manufacturers typically demonstrate compliance by applying harmonised technical standards — such as IEC 62368-1 for AV/IT equipment, IEC 62040-1 for UPS, and IEC 62133-2 for portable batteries — which create a presumption of conformity with the LVD’s essential safety requirements. CE marking and an EU Declaration of Conformity are mandatory before market placement.
Relevance to Battery Engineering
The LVD is the primary market access directive for most battery-related electrical equipment in Europe. Understanding which harmonised standards apply to a given product is the key practical step in LVD compliance — selecting the right standard and demonstrating conformity through testing or technical assessment determines the CE marking pathway. For battery engineers, the LVD’s voltage boundaries are also important: high-voltage battery systems (above 1,500 V DC, as in some grid-scale BESS) require compliance through alternative routes. The interaction between the LVD, EMC Directive, and Machinery Directive must be considered carefully for complex battery systems that include power conversion and control functions.
Disclaimer: This is not a definitive guide, just an indication and it is important that you always go back to the source for legislation.
See also: EMC Directive (2014/30/EU), EN 62040-1, EN 62619