Stricter rules on battery safety put into force

China has enforced two mandatory national standards for new energy vehicles effective from Wednesday, phasing out the 2020 version, with the strictest-ever safety requirements for NEVs and power batteries. Experts say the move sets higher safety guardrails for the world's largest new energy vehicle market and shapes global auto safety protocols.

A key provision mandates that all NEVs be equipped with an independent physical high-voltage cutoff device, operable by a single tap or long press. This ensures a physical disconnection of the high-voltage loop, in contrast to previous software-based controls, which could fail in crashes.

The battery standard raises the thermal runaway test threshold from a five-minute warning before fire or explosion to a mandatory "no fire, no explosion" outcome, while also requiring that any smoke emitted must not harm occupants.

The regulation also adds two new practical test scenarios to address prevalent consumer safety concerns: underbody impact testing to simulate road debris strikes and curb collisions, and a 300-cycle high-power fast-charging durability assessment to verify long-term battery safety under repeated ultrafast charging.

Major domestic NEV manufacturers and startups said they have completed technical upgrades ahead of time, with all new models compliant with the latest national standards.

Data from the China Passenger Car Association show that NEVs would account for 63.6 percent of total passenger vehicles in June, reaching 1.05 million units, a month-on-month increase of 10.5 percent.

He Weining, supervisor-general of the Shenzhen Battery Industry Association, said the new framework represents China's most rigorous battery safety standards to date, alleviating long-standing consumer concerns over battery fires, underbody collision-induced fires and explosions from aging after repeated fast charging. The overhaul will substantially reduce NEV accident risks and bolster overall travel safety.

The mandatory safety requirements will push the entire NEV industrial chain to speed up technological innovation and boost the industrial adoption of advanced battery materials and state-of-the-art safety technologies.

Meanwhile, the rules are expected to assist a healthy industry shakeout, phase out low-end and obsolete production capacity, and steer the sector toward high-quality development, He added.

Industry estimates show the stricter safety requirements will lift power battery system costs by 15 to 20 percent, translating to an expense of 3,000 to 5,000 yuan ($410 to $690) per vehicle battery pack.

Data from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center show clear industry divergence: 78 percent of domestic battery makers possess mature technologies to meet the new criteria; 14 percent require one to two years of technical upgrading to comply; and roughly 8 percent of smaller manufacturers are unlikely to achieve compliance in the near term.

Major battery suppliers including CATL and BYD have preemptively rolled out non-thermal-propagation battery designs, high-temperature-resistant diaphragms and integrated battery pack structures, with production lines fully upgraded in advance.

These industry leaders can absorb rising compliance costs through large-scale manufacturing advantages. In contrast, smaller battery firms and less competitive automakers face shrinking market presence due to capital and technical constraints.

Zhang Xiang, an automotive industry analyst, said the China-formulated safety standards are emerging as a key credential for the country's EV exports. Regulatory bodies across the European Union, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are considering rule revisions aligned with the new Chinese battery and vehicle safety codes.

The benchmark regulations will strengthen China's global influence in new energy vehicle standards, accelerating the nation's transition from a global NEV manufacturing powerhouse to a leading architect of international automotive safety, Zhang added.