Life Cycle Testing of Electric Vehicle Battery Modules
SAE J2288 defines accelerated life cycle test procedures for battery modules used in electric and hybrid electric vehicles. It provides standardised methods for evaluating capacity fade, power fade, and energy throughput over the expected vehicle service life, enabling comparative assessment of battery module longevity under representative EV duty cycles.
Published by: SAE International
Current edition: SAE J2288:1998 (reaffirmed)
Related standards: SAE J1798 (performance rating), SAE J2380 (vibration testing)
Scope
SAE J2288 applies to battery modules for EV and HEV traction applications. It defines a simplified cycling protocol — the USABC Electric Vehicle Test Procedure — that simulates real-world urban and highway driving load profiles. Testing is performed at module level at defined temperature conditions.
Key Test Procedures
Cycle Profile and Capacity Measurement
Modules are cycled using the USABC simplified dynamic stress test (DST) profile, which includes regenerative braking current. Reference capacity measurements at C/3 rate are performed periodically (every 50 cycles) to track capacity fade. The test continues until capacity falls below 80% of initial rated capacity or until the target cycle count is reached.
Temperature Conditions
Life cycle testing is performed at the reference temperature (25 °C) and may be repeated at elevated temperature (45 °C) for accelerated ageing. The ratio of cycle life at the two temperatures provides an acceleration factor used to estimate real-world calendar life.
Disclaimer: This is not a definitive guide, just an indication and it is important that you always go back to the source for legislation.
References
- SAE J2288, SAE International
See also: ISO 12405-1, SAE J1797, SAE J1798, SAE J2380, Accelerated Testing, Developing a Lifecycle Test Procedure