Impact on EMC for electrical powertrains with respect to functional safety: ISO 26262

Due to increasing concerns with petroleum usage and the increasing federal fuel economy regulations, electric powertrains have become more accepted by automotive manufacturers and can be found in production and within numerous development programs. Although electric propulsion vehicles were first built over 100 years ago, such vehicles are not commonplace in today´s automotive market. As with any “new” technology, concerns arise regarding safety and reliability of such vehicles. The functional safety standard ISO 26262, introduced in final draft in 2011, provides crucial safety-related requirements for passenger vehicles including those employing electrical propulsion. Although the standard has already had a large influence on automobile manufacturers and suppliers, it´s implications for EMC have not previously been fully clarified. This paper outlines the impact of ISO 26262 for EMC related issues, and discusses the standard´s implications for EMC requirements within the field of electric powertrains.