In a significant move aimed at boosting safety in the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) sector, China has announced new, stricter regulations for EV and plug-in hybrid batteries. The updated standards, set to come into effect in July 2026, are intended to reduce the risks of fires and explosions caused by thermal runaway — the most common source of EV battery fires.
The new rules were issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday and mark the first major revision to battery safety standards since 2020. The regulations will require automakers to conduct tougher mandatory tests to ensure batteries can withstand crash impacts and tolerate fast charging without catching fire or exploding. The previous version of the standard required a five-minute warning if an EV was at risk of igniting.
China, the world’s largest EV market, has seen new energy vehicles (NEVs) — a category that includes both fully electric and plug-in hybrid models — surpass gasoline-powered car sales on a monthly basis since last year. This trend has outpaced the country’s official targets, which initially aimed for NEVs to comprise 20% of all car sales by 2025, later revised to over 50% by 2035.
Despite these achievements, incidents involving EV fires, including a deadly crash in March where a Xiaomi-manufactured EV caught fire after a high-speed collision, have raised public concerns. In that case, the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) was reportedly active at the time of the accident, sparking widespread debate about the safety of EVs and the promotion of smart-driving features.
While a June 2024 report from state broadcaster CCTV claimed EVs and hybrids statistically pose a lower fire risk than gasoline cars, social media in China remains flooded with unverified videos and images of NEV-related fire incidents.
In response, Chinese state media has cautioned automakers against overstating the capabilities of their smart-driving systems, urging a greater focus on transparency and safety.
With the new safety standards, China aims to reassure the public and fortify the global credibility of its EV industry, which has been bolstered by years of robust policy support and innovation incentives.
Sources By Agencies
