This SAE Recommended Practice is intended as a guide toward standard practice and is subject to change to keep pace with experience and technical advances. It describes a body of tests which may be used as needed for abuse testing of electric or hybrid electric vehicle Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems (RESS) to determine the response of such electrical energy storage and control systems to conditions or events which are beyond their normal operating range.

Abuse test procedures in this document are intended to cover a broad range of vehicle applications as well as a broad range of electrical energy storage devices, including individual RESS cells (batteries or capacitors), modules and packs. This document applies to vehicles with RESS voltages above 60 volts. This document does not apply to RESS that uses mechanical devices story energy (e.g., electro-mechanical flywheels).