The consensus in the new energy vehicle industry is clear: the first half focuses on electrification, while the second half emphasizes intelligence. In this rapid industrial transformation, power batteries serve as the “heart” of new energy vehicles. Their safety remains a pressing concern, like the “Sword of Damocles” hanging over the industry. Notably, as new technologies in electric vehicles emerge, the safety levels of power batteries continue to improve. The national safety standards for batteries have also evolved under the new industrial landscape. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the mandatory national standard “Safety Requirements for Power Batteries Used in Electric Vehicles,” set to take effect on July 1, 2026. This new standard includes seven individual tests and 17 tests for battery packs or systems. It is dubbed the “strictest battery safety regulation ever.” “This marks a significant technological advancement in safety for China’s new energy vehicle and power battery industries,” said Dong Yang, Secretary-General of the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance. With the release of the new standard, a technology revolution centered on safety quietly reshapes the industry landscape. This policy-driven storm has toppled the first domino, triggering a chain reaction among automakers, battery companies, consumers, and the entire supply chain. Fire prevention and explosion avoidance have become hard standards. Throughout the transformation of the automotive industry, incidents of electric vehicle fires, spontaneous combustion, and explosions have occurred frequently. The industry’s focus on power battery safety has only intensified. The new national standard includes 24 testing items, with revisions or additions to all but three: “overcharging,” “external short circuit,” and “temperature cycling.” Notably, the new or significantly revised items include safety after fast charging cycles, thermal diffusion, and bottom impact.
The current safety standards for power batteries allow a “5-minute buffer” for thermal runaway incidents. This means batteries can avoid catching fire or exploding for five minutes after thermal runaway, giving occupants an escape window. The new national standard mandates “no fire, no explosion” as a requirement, earning it the title of the “strictest power battery safety regulation” in the industry. In thermal diffusion tests, the new standard builds on the 2020 version’s recommendation for “external heating and puncture.” It adds “internal heating” to assess the battery’s safety against thermal runaway from internal short circuits. The standard clarifies temperature requirements, power state, observation time, and vehicle testing conditions. It also sets strict demands for “no fire, no explosion, and no harmful smoke to occupants.” Industry experts say this is the first time China has made “no fire, no explosion” a mandatory requirement for power batteries. This raises standards for new energy vehicles and enhances safety for drivers and passengers. The new standard eliminates any complacency regarding thermal runaway risks, marking the start of a “zero tolerance” era for power battery safety. Data from the Ministry of Emergency Management shows that in 2024, 37% of electric vehicle fire incidents stemmed from chassis impacts damaging batteries, while 21% resulted from thermal runaway due to fast charging. The new standard introduces bottom impact testing, focusing on the battery’s protective capacity after such impacts. It requires the battery pack to withstand three strikes from a 30mm steel ball at 150J without leakage, shell rupture, fire, or explosion, while meeting insulation resistance requirements. Liu Guibin, secretary-general of the Electric Vehicle Sub-Technical Committee of the National Automotive Standardization Technical Committee and senior technical director of the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, stated in a media interview that there are no international regulations for bottom impacts on new energy vehicles. China is the first to take this step. The new national standard introduces safety tests for fast charging cycles. It targets battery cells charged from 20% SOC to 80% SOC, with a total charging time not exceeding 15 minutes. The technical requirement mandates external short-circuit tests after 300 fast charging cycles, ensuring no fire or explosion. As fast charging technology accelerates, this testing requirement urges automakers to balance charging speed with safety and reliability in product design. This balance is crucial. The new standard also clarifies conditions for determining the same type. If a battery pack or system undergoes partial changes, it allows for supplemental tests on related technical requirements as per the standard. After approval, these changes are considered the same type, eliminating the need for full retesting. The report “2024 New Energy Vehicle Insurance Development” reveals that, from January to November 2022, 22.67% of vehicles caught fire while charging, 16% while driving, and 38.67% while parked. Additionally, 9.33% ignited due to collisions, and other causes accounted for 13.33%. Thus, when “no fire, no explosion” shifts from a marketing slogan to a regulatory baseline, the push for technological upgrades accelerates. Two years ago, the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance found that battery and vehicle manufacturers made significant safety advancements. They successfully applied these technologies in intrinsic safety, thermal insulation between cells, battery pack temperature control, thermal separation after thermal runaway in individual cells, and optimized structural designs to prevent thermal diffusion in new products. In response to the new standard, Dong Yang shared the story behind it. Mainstream battery and vehicle manufacturers claim future products can achieve “smoke without fire,” reflecting the new standard’s emphasis on preventing fire and explosion. Dong Yang mentioned that the Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance suggested stricter and more specific safety control standards to government authorities. The implementation of the new national standard reflects technological progress in the industry. It is a natural outcome.
In February 2024, the Electric Vehicle Sub-Technical Committee of the National Automobile Standardization Technical Committee surveyed 36 vehicle and battery companies. Seventy-eight percent of these companies have technology to prevent power batteries from catching fire or exploding. Even if the battery cells experience thermal runaway, they will not ignite or explode due to thermal propagation. The drafting group for the new regulations includes 36 entities, such as electric vehicle manufacturers, power battery companies, third-party testing organizations, and research institutes. Notable participants include CATL, BYD, Changan, Xiaomi, and Tesla. The competition in the domestic new energy vehicle market intensifies. However, this competition fundamentally revolves around technology. Many top performers have already submitted their work ahead of time. For example, Geely will launch its latest generation “blade” lithium iron phosphate battery, the Shield Short Blade Battery, in June 2024. In the “8-pin puncture” test by the China Automotive Research Institute, the battery cell withstood puncture by eight 5mm steel needles for one hour without smoking, igniting, or exploding. Additionally, Geely’s Shield Short Blade Battery cell achieved a global first by passing a 5.8mm live bullet penetration test. A 5.8mm automatic rifle bullet penetrated the cell at a speed of 920 m/s, causing a rupture with a diameter of ≥60mm. Still, the cell did not catch fire or explode. Geely consistently pursues safety redundancy and exceeds national standards. In 2024, Geely tested the battery pack durability of the Galaxy E5, which has over 300,000 kilometers driven. After 921 charges, the battery’s health remained at an impressive 90.5%. The battery can cycle through 3,500 charge and discharge cycles, equating to over one million kilometers. Hive Energy plays a key role as a drafting unit. Its core products, the Fortress Off-Road and Bee Knife batteries, meet all national standards ahead of schedule. The Fortress Off-Road battery exceeds the 150J impact resistance benchmark by achieving 1000J with its 8+4 layout. This performance leads the industry in safety standards. Currently, Wuling has launched the Shenlian Battery 3.0, an upgrade from Shenlian Battery 1.0. It sets high safety requirements for battery cells. Through system design, separator, and electrolyte optimization, the battery remains safe during extensive puncture tests. Wuling’s external protection design and the Shenlian Battery 4.0 thermal separation system meet national standards. In 2020, China’s new energy vehicle penetration rate surpassed 5% for the first time, reaching 5.4%. This marked the transition from the introduction phase to the growth phase for the new energy vehicle industry. At that time, the standard GB 38031—2020 for power batteries was released. Now, the penetration rate has consistently exceeded 50%, prompting another upgrade of mandatory national standards. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the new regulations for newly applied type approvals will take effect on July 1, 2026. For already approved models, the regulations will apply starting July 1, 2027. This gives approved models a one-year transition period, but they must complete modifications or exit the market by 2027. After the new standards were announced, a consumer in Nanchang stated, “We have not yet overcome the biggest issue with batteries.” “If the National Five and National Six vehicle emission standards are mandatory regulations, then the new national battery standards arise from grassroots demand.”
New regulations reshape consumer perceptions amid frequent electric vehicle fire incidents. The “2024 China New Energy Vehicle Consumption Trend Report” shows that 76% of car buyers prioritize “battery safety” over range and smart features. Experts believe the new safety requirements will ease public concerns about fire risks through rigorous testing. With the new battery standards in place, the mandatory “no fire, no explosion” requirement tests car manufacturers and battery producers. Though 78% of companies claim they possess the technology for this safety standard, their actual capabilities vary widely. This means that 22% of companies still face elimination for failing to meet the standards. Behind this technological race lies a brutal capacity reshuffle. According to calculations, about 30% of existing production lines may face upgrades or closure due to non-compliance with the new testing conditions. This further squeezes the survival space for second-tier battery manufacturers. The new regulations shift the safety requirements for power batteries from “probability control” to “absolute assurance.” Companies must achieve technological breakthroughs across materials, processes, and thermal management. Industry insiders note that while leading companies have implemented the three new testing methods, small and medium enterprises still face cost and technical challenges. Thus, the regulations may raise R&D costs for small and medium enterprises, potentially triggering a reshuffle in the industry and promoting concentration and standardization. The implementation of the new standards marks significant progress in the safety management of new energy vehicles in China, according to Dong Yang. He states that this new standard sets a benchmark for global safety management and product certification for electric vehicles and power batteries. It is important to clarify that the release of these standards does not guarantee that electric vehicles will not catch fire or explode in the future. Dong Yang emphasizes that the safety issues of new products primarily involve two aspects: exploring safety boundaries through technological innovation and practical application, and ensuring that the costs of safety measures are acceptable to the market.
He stated that understanding the inherent thermal runaway and thermal diffusion of new energy vehicles and power batteries is crucial. Our ultimate goal is to ensure no safety issues arise in various applications and stages. Currently, many battery companies and automakers push for solid-state batteries, aiming for “absolute safety.” Dong Yang expressed his views on this. He said, “Solid-state batteries may be safer than current batteries, but they also have safety issues. We cannot relax safety research and prevention for current batteries just because solid-state batteries might exist in the future. Moreover, solid-state battery costs must compete with current battery prices.” According to statistics released by the Ministry of Public Security, by the end of 2024, the number of new energy vehicles in the country will reach 31.4 million, accounting for 8.9% of the total number of cars. The number of newly registered new energy vehicles this year is 11.25 million, making up 41.83% of new registrations. Today, the new energy vehicle market grows at an unprecedented speed. The industry shifts from rapid development to high-quality development. Safety has become the industry’s baseline. After a sudden halt in intelligent driving, the automotive industry is reconstructing market logic with safety as its foundation. Feng Xingya, chairman and general manager of GAC Group, stated at the 2025 GAC Technology Day, “We cannot only discuss experience while neglecting safety. Users can define the experience, but safety must be defined by automakers.” At the launch event for the new Volvo XC90 in Shanghai, 80% of the content, including actor Hu Ge’s endorsement, focused on showcasing Volvo’s safety. As the wave of intelligence drives the development of autonomous driving safety standards, new battery safety regulations form a dual-driven industrial safety system. This upgrade in safety standards shifts China’s new energy vehicle industry from a “speed-first” approach to a “quality-first” development stage. However, safety issues regarding new energy vehicles and power batteries still persist. The “New Energy Vehicle Operational Safety Performance Testing Regulations,” effective March 1 this year, complements the newly issued national standards. The new standards focus on product access and certification, while the annual inspection standards apply to vehicle maintenance and inspections. “This standard plays a significant role in the safe use of new energy vehicles and extends their lifespan,” emphasized Dong Yang. “Although the testing regulations are recommended standards, they are mandatory for all testing institutions. They must enhance their testing capabilities according to the standards. Institutions must bear legal responsibility for certification.” In this safety revolution, there are no bystanders. From materials scientists in laboratories to process engineers on production lines, from families planning to buy cars to operators setting up battery swap systems, everyone is a crucial link in the domino chain. When the strictest battery safety regulations topple the first domino, the entire industry will build a stronger safety defense through a chain reaction. This domino effect, triggered by policy changes, is pushing China’s new energy vehicle industry from scale expansion to a new phase of high-quality development.