Ask your EV Guru: #2 - Can i use an Electric Vehicle in the rain?

​By Raphae Halim

Hello, Welcome to the second episode of  ‘Ask your EV Guru’!  We get many many comments from all of you asking us about Electric Vehicles in rains! Most of your concerns are about effects of water on the battery pack of an electric vehicle. Also some of you are concerned if the motor and electronics can get damaged in the rain. And some are worried if you will get an electric shock!

​So how best to answer all these questions than go on an actual ride in Mumbai’s pouring rain?

​SCRIPT
Okay now let’s do a drive in my electric car - T2PO.  Again it is raining, and i will drive in crazy waterlogged streets, get back  and put the car on charge!  In Mumbai and other Indian cities, water logging is an issue especially in low lying areas. Over the past 4 years, I have driven my electric car in such rains, where water levels were high as much as the level of the door and we had to wade through the lake!
Other vehicles including the SUV's hesitated to go through, but our EV just made it effortlessly.
Not having a tail pipe in an Electric car is also a plus point, as water cannot enter inside.

Okay, so i have made it back and i'am charging my electric car in the rain. I always try to charge my car in a shady spot. But in some cases, like this, if you have to charge in the rain, do ensure your charger box is covered with plastic, as this is better protected.

So here is an electric scooter (that is charging). If you notice it is raining and i plan take it out in the rain, finish my ride and come back and put it back to charge.
As you can see my electric scooter has no issues with water. You can even charge the batteries after you get back from your ride - in the pouring rain!

As you can see, it is not big deal using an EV in rains.  EV’s are more resilient than you think.
An important point to consider is to check if the electric vehicle you plan to get is ARAI certified.
ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) is a Pune based organization that tests and certifies EVs.

AIS-138 is a document released by ARAI, which specs out AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY STANDARDs for Electric Vehicles. In the document there are test conditions and tests for protection against water. The link to that document is here
Also many of the components used by EV's like AC or BLDC motors, controllers, Battery packs, even if imported undergo Homologation in India. And organizations like ARAI or ICAT do that.
And how do you if the electric vehicle you want to purchase is ARAI approved?

Check with your dealer if the vehicle is ARAI approved. Insist on certificate or proof if you still have doubts and the dealer can get it from the manufacturer.

Another way to checking if the vehicle is approved, is to go to FAME India website. FAME stands for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India] and the objective is to support electric vehicles market development and Manufacturing eco-system.  The mentioned link is here. 

FAME is a subsidy scheme for EV's and subsidy is enabled only if the vehicles are ARAI or ICAT approved.
So check if the vehicle you are interested in is listed here.  If it is, you can safely purchase an EV. If not, speak to the manufacturer and ask them to get on this list!

Finally, even if the vehicle is ARAI approved or is in FAME list, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Here are some tips for protection of your Electric Vehicle in the rain

• Try to park in a location where there protection from water
• Charge your EV in a dry area
  • If you have to charge in the rain, do protect the charger. Many of the scooter companies import cheap chargers from China, which ,might not be IP56 rated. Better be safe than sorry!
• If you have removable batteries in e-Scooters, take them home and charge them.
• Drive slowly and stay safe!

​We @ PluginIndia are in touch with lots of EV owners and as you can see from these photos, the Indian EV community love their EV’s and our EV’s love the rains!
So using or charging an EV in the rains is perfectly safe and there is nothing to worry about.
So embrace Electric Vehicles and enjoy the independence from visiting petrol pumps in the pouring rain!