China introduces non-fire, non-explosion EV battery standard

BEIJING: China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on April 15 that it has finalised a new standard “Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles,” which will take effect on July 1, 2026, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The revised standard mandates that batteries must not catch fire or explode — even during internal thermal runaway — while still issuing an alarm and emitting only non-hazardous smoke. It specifies detailed parameters for thermal diffusion testing, including state-of-charge, observation intervals and vehicle test conditions.

New requirements introduce a bottom-impact test to verify under-carriage protection and oblige batteries to withstand 300 rapid-charge cycles without detonation or fire during subsequent short-circuit testing.

Industry observers note that GB38031-2025, as the standard is also known as, is the world’s first regulation to demand fire-and-explosion prevention post-thermal runaway, as reported by carnewschina.com.

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Leading supplier CATL asserts its No Thermal Propagation (NP) modules—produced since 2020 — already meet these criteria.

A CATL spokesman said its NP batteries can survive 120kph centre-pillar collision without incident, demonstrating real-world crash resilience.

The announcement follows a March collision involving a Xiaomi SU7 EV that caught fire, though investigations are ongoing.

Analysts predict the stricter regime will bolster consumer confidence but accelerate consolidation among smaller manufacturers due to higher R&D and compliance costs.

Over time, enhanced safety should lower insurance premiums and maintenance liabilities, delivering greater value across China’s expanding EV market.