Report of Market Access Ombudsman Council (May 13, 1994)

3-(2) Relaxing Domestic Regulations on Batteries for Electric Vehicles

1. Complainant: Keidanren

2. Ministry concerned: Ministry of Home Affairs

3. Complaint:

There has been progress in the development of sodium sulfur batteries for use in electric vehicles over the past few years. Both sodium and sulfur, which are used in these batteries, are classified as hazardous substances under Japan's Fire Services Law and their handling and storage are regulated.

The complainant states that such regulation constitutes a barrier to the import of sodium sulfur batteries and samples of electric vehicles powered by such batteries, and that current regulation will make future imports of such vehicles on a commercial basis difficult. However, since the spread of electric vehicles in the future should be encouraged from the viewpoint of preserving the environment, regulations concerning the handling of sodium sulfur batteries should be relaxed and test runs of electric vehicles powered by such batteries on public roads allowed.

4. Results of deliberation:

Since sodium sulfur batteries are expected to spread in the future as an energy source for electric vehicles, the safety of sodium sulfur batteries using sodium and sulfur as an energy source for electric vehicles should be studied immediately. From this viewpoint, the ministry concerned in the regulation has obtained a budget allocation for such a study in the fiscal 1994 budget and will examine the matter. Further, in addition to this study, in order to coordinate with other ministries and agencies concerned, the issue of handling sodium sulfur batteries used by the general public as an energy source for electric vehicles should be studied immediately as well.

Government decision (June 24, 1994)

3-(2) Relaxing restrictions on sodium sulfur batteries for electric vehicles

The safety of sodium sulfur batteries used as batteries in electric vehicles will be studied starting this fiscal year, and based on results of studies, restrictions on sodium sulfur batteries as hazardous materials will be relaxed in fiscal 1996.

Follow-up (June 5, 1995)

3-(2) Relaxing Domestic Regulations on Batteries for Electric Vehicles

A Investigative Committee on the Safety of Sodium Sulfur Batteries, composed of fire department personnel, academic experts and industry representatives, was established in FY 1994, and investigation and study of the state of development, structure, features, hazardous elements, and safety of sodium sulfur batteries as batteries for electric vehicles were carried out. Study revealed that production of sodium sulfur batteries in foreign countries had been suspended because of numerous accidents involving the batteries, and other factors. For this reason, the Committee was also unable to obtain sodium sulfur batteries for testing purposes, and so was unable to determine their safety.

On February 3, 1995, the complainant contacted the Market Access Ombudsman Council to withdraw their request in this matter, in view of the fact that production and sale of sodium sulfur batteries had been suspended.