In the US market, UL standards constitute an unavoidable market access threshold for battery products. Platform compliance audits and local legislations have designated them as mandatory requirements. This article sorts out nine commonly used UL standards by three tiers: cell, battery pack and end product, and answers frequently asked questions from clients.

I. Clarify Product Tiers: Cells, Battery Packs and End Equipment

Many enterprises select the wrong standard because they fail to identify which tier their product belongs to. UL’s battery standard framework is built by product tiers, and assessments for upper-tier products are generally based on the safety of lower-tier components:

表格

II. Detailed Introduction to the Nine Standards

Consumer Electronics

UL 1642 Safety standard for lithium cells, covering rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium cells (such as 18650, 21700 and pouch cells). It evaluates short circuit, overcharging, crush, thermal abuse, low pressure, vibration and other test items, serving as the starting point of the entire battery safety chain.

UL 2054 Standard for household and commercial batteries. The assessment targets battery packs fitted with protection circuits and enclosures. Beyond cell safety, it adds evaluations of protection circuit performance, enclosure flame resistance, temperature rise, 250N static load and other product-level tests, applicable to both primary and secondary batteries.

UL 2056 Special standard for lithium-ion power banks, applicable to lithium power banks with input and output not exceeding 20Vdc. Based on battery safety requirements, it further assesses overload and other risks at input and output ports under real usage scenarios.

UL 62368-1 Safety standard for audio, video, information and communication technology equipment, replacing the former UL 60950-1 and UL 60065. It is one of the most widely adopted standards for battery-powered digital end products entering North America.

Light Electric Vehicles

UL 2271 Battery standard for Light Electric Vehicles (LEV), covering battery packs for e-bikes and electric scooters. New York City local legislation effective in 2023 mandates that batteries for such vehicles sold or leased locally must obtain UL 2271 certification.

UL 2272 Standard for electrical systems of personal e-mobility devices, suitable for self-balancing scooters, electric skateboards and other single-person devices not permitted for road travel. It assesses the combined safety of electric drive, battery and charging systems. This standard is recognized in both the US and Canada; Singapore has enforced it for electric scooters since 2021.

UL 2849 Standard for electrical systems of electric bicycles, covering the complete electrical system including batteries, BMS, motor controllers, chargers and wiring harnesses. The US CPSC urges manufacturers to comply with this standard, and New York City also lists it as a mandatory certification requirement.

Electric Vehicles & Energy Storage

UL 2580 Battery standard for electric vehicles, applicable to traction battery packs for electric cars, hybrid subsystems and modules (including battery packs for electric forklifts and other industrial vehicles). It emphasizes safety under vibration, thermal propagation and collision conditions.

UL 1973 Standard for batteries used in stationary applications, vehicle auxiliary power and light rail transit. It applies to photovoltaic energy storage, residential energy storage, UPS, communication base station backup power and other scenarios, and covers various chemistries including lithium, lead-acid and flow batteries.

III. Four Most Frequently Asked Client Questions

Q: Is a UL test report the same as UL Listing certification? A: No. They differ greatly in purpose and cost structure. A UL test report is issued by an accredited third-party laboratory in accordance with UL standards. It is mainly used for compliance review on platforms such as Amazon and Temu. It does not involve factory audits or annual fees, and the UL mark cannot be printed on products. UL Listing certification permits the use of the UL mark on products, but requires an initial factory inspection plus periodic follow-up factory audits. It is mainly required for offline retail channels in North America. Enterprises should confirm their sales channels before choosing the compliance route.

Q: Can I test a battery pack or end product directly if the cell has no UL 1642 report? A: Technically it can be done, but the cost is usually high. UL standards follow a progressive evaluation logic: cells pass UL 1642 first, then battery packs pass the corresponding pack-level standards, followed by system assessment for end products. If the lab finds the internal cells lack basic safety reports during testing, supplementary cell testing will normally be required, which may double the overall lead time and cost. It is recommended to request UL 1642 reports from suppliers at the cell selection stage as a basic supply chain access requirement.

Q: If the end product is certified to UL 62368-1, does the built-in battery still need separate testing? A: The end-product standard evaluates the overall electrical safety of the finished device. It generally references assessment results of the battery pack instead of re-evaluating the full safety from cell to pack. The common industry practice is combined testing of end product plus battery pack. Note that if the battery is sold separately as a spare part, it normally needs independent assessment under UL 2054, UL 1642 or other battery standards and cannot rely solely on the end-product report.

Q: Does a test report guarantee permanent compliance? A: No. Several points require ongoing attention. First, design changes: key modifications such as cell model, protection circuit scheme or enclosure structure may invalidate the existing report. A gap assessment is needed before deciding on supplementary testing. Second, factory inspections: Listing certification requires regular factory audits; inconsistent production will compromise certification validity. Third, platform rules: Amazon has rolled out TIC direct verification for lithium battery products across multiple marketplaces. Test reports must be verified by Amazon-designated service providers, and UN38.3 transportation reports should also be prepared. Compliance is dynamic. Annual review of platform and regulatory updates is recommended.

⚠ Practical Tip: Certification planning should start at product development stage, not after receiving platform delisting notices. Wrong standard selection, omitted tier-level testing and incomplete documents are the three top causes of extended testing cycles.

Certification & Testing – GTG

ESTL has rich experience in battery testing and certification. Our laboratory holds recognition under UL’s DAP program for WTDP (Witnessed Test Data Program) and TPTDP (Third-Party Test Data Program). We possess testing capabilities for the above UL standards covering consumer electronics, light mobility, electric vehicles and energy storage products. We can help enterprises map certification paths, prepare documents and follow up the full testing process starting from product project initiation. If you are selecting standards or building certification plans for your products, feel free to contact us.