A lithium battery cannot be shipped anywhere until it has passed a defined series of abuse tests and the report exists. For an electric vehicle that report belongs to the battery, not to the vehicle — and the buyer usually discovers the distinction at the worst moment.
The test report
Lithium batteries in international transport must be tested to the sequence set out in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, commonly referred to by its section number. The sequence covers altitude simulation, thermal cycling, vibration, shock, external short circuit, impact or crush, overcharge and forced discharge.
Three practical points:
- The report belongs to a specific battery design. A design change — different cells, different pack construction — requires retesting. A report for a similar battery is not a report for yours.
- A summary document is normally required to accompany shipments, and carriers increasingly ask for it before booking rather than at the port.
- Obtaining a report takes weeks. If a new model is being shipped for the first time, this belongs in the project timeline, not in the shipping arrangements.
Vehicle with battery installed versus loose battery
These are handled quite differently and conflating them causes real problems.
Battery installed in the vehicle. Shipped as part of the vehicle. The battery must still be tested and documented, but the vehicle's own structure provides protection and the handling rules are those for vehicles. State of charge limits commonly apply.
Loose battery pack — spares, replacements, or packs shipped separately from vehicles. Treated as dangerous goods in their own right, with packaging, marking, labelling and documentation requirements that are considerably more demanding. Quantity limits may apply per package and per consignment.
Importers planning a spare parts package frequently include a replacement traction battery without realising it converts a routine parts shipment into a dangerous goods consignment with different paperwork, different packing and a different freight cost.
State of charge
Sea and air transport rules commonly limit the state of charge for lithium batteries — figures around 30% of rated capacity are widely applied for standalone cells and batteries, with specific provisions for vehicles.
The rationale is thermal: a battery at low charge carries less energy to release in a failure. The practical consequence for a vehicle importer is that vehicles arrive with limited range and may need charging before they can be moved far from the port — which is worth planning for rather than discovering.
What has to be arranged before booking
- Test report for the exact battery design, current and available.
- Summary document in the format carriers ask for.
- Carrier acceptance. Not every vessel or service accepts electric vehicles, and acceptance policies differ between lines and change. Confirm before committing to a sailing.
- State of charge set and documented at loading.
- Destination import requirements for EVs specifically — some markets have additional documentation or inspection for battery vehicles.
- Emergency response information where required, since lithium fires need different handling from conventional vehicle fires.
Damaged or defective batteries
Worth knowing before it arises: a battery that is damaged, defective or has been recalled is subject to substantially stricter transport rules, and in many cases cannot be shipped by normal means at all.
This matters for warranty returns. An importer who plans to return a failed traction battery to the manufacturer for analysis will find that the return shipment is far more complicated than the original delivery. Establishing at contract stage whether failed batteries must be returned, disposed of locally, or analysed on site avoids an expensive surprise.
Storage at destination
Outside the scope of transport rules but part of the same planning. Electric vehicles awaiting delivery need somewhere to sit with an appropriate charge level, and letting a traction battery discharge deeply over months of storage damages it — sometimes irreversibly, and usually outside warranty.
A storage protocol with periodic charging is a small operational item that protects a substantial asset, and it should be agreed with the dealer network before the first vehicles arrive rather than after the first battery is written off.