China Drafts New Rules on Electric Vehicle Battery Safety

KatadataOTO – The Chinese government is in the final stages of revising national standards for the safety of Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries.

The regulation is further divided into 294 parts for 13 different automotive sectors, and it is mandatory, meaning it must be complied with.

This was revealed in information from the State Administration for Market Regulation in China, as reported by Carnewschina on Sunday (28/12).

It was further explained that there are three main areas of focus for the regulation: developing energy efficiency and emission standards, strengthening product quality and safety, and expanding recycling standards.

Photo: MG

Speaking specifically about batteries, this new rule requires all automotive producers, especially electric car manufacturers, to optimize the battery structure and the component's Thermal Management System.

Thus, various potential dangers from batteries catching fire or exploding can be avoided.

The manufacturer's obligation to ensure batteries do not explode or catch fire has, for the first time, been affirmed as mandatory at the national level.

This decision also marks an advancement in regulations and safety standards for electric cars in China.

“The revised national standard (coded) GB 38031-2025 is scheduled to become effective on July 1, 2026,” wrote the Carnewschina report, quoted on Monday (29/12).

As of that date, all models to be tested must meet this set of criteria. Meanwhile, other vehicles can follow a different scheme until July 1, 2027.

For your information, there are various causes for electric car batteries to catch fire or explode.

For example, the battery component being punctured by another object during an accident. This phenomenon is common in batteries made with Lithium-Ion material.

To anticipate this, many Chinese manufacturers have chosen to use an alternative, namely Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), as used by BYD.

Photo: BYD

Batteries with LFP material are said to have a more stable chemical structure and are more resistant to decomposition at high temperatures.

Complementing this, LFP batteries are generally equipped with a Battery Management System or BMS that helps monitor and control the battery's condition.

Thus, issues like overvoltage or overheating can be anticipated before the condition worsens.