Safety of VDA 355
Battery safety is won at module level, and the VDA 355 format is built for it: stable chemistry inside a rigid housing, with a cooling interface and a mounting pattern that behave the same way in every pack they go into.
Chemistry with margin
LFP (LiFePO4) cells are the calm option: an iron phosphate cathode that stays structurally stable at elevated temperatures, which is why LFP dominates stationary storage and heavy-duty applications. NMC delivers more energy per kilogram where mass is the constraint. Both are available in the same VDA 355 envelope, so the safety case follows the application rather than the mechanics.
A housing that holds the cells
Prismatic cells swell over their life and have to be held under controlled pressure. The rigid aluminium housing does exactly that, and the standardised mounting interface means the pack holds the module the way the module was designed to be held — one less integration variable, and one less way for a pack to age badly.
Heat where you expect it
A defined cooling face means the pack designer knows exactly where heat leaves the module and can size the cooling plate for it. Even cell temperatures are what keep a pack healthy over thousands of cycles, and a predictable thermal interface is how you get them.
Within the European framework
- UN 38.3 — the transport testing regime for lithium cells and batteries, administered through the UNECE.
- IEC 62619 — safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries in industrial applications, including stationary storage.
- EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 — due diligence, carbon footprint and end-of-life obligations for batteries placed on the European market.
Avantis Energy supplies cells and modules into that framework, with the documentation your own compliance work needs. See the VDA and MEB module range, or talk to Avantis Energy about your application.