China has issued a new mandatory national standard aimed at strengthening safety requirements for batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs).
Source: Xinhua News Agency
China has issued a new mandatory national standard aimed at strengthening safety requirements for batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs). The regulation—Safety Requirements for Traction Batteries for Electric Vehicles (GB38031-2025)—was developed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and will take effect on July 1, 2026.
The updated standard introduces several major revisions focused on improving battery safety under extreme or high-risk conditions. Key changes include:
Thermal Propagation Test Enhancements: The revised test outlines more specific requirements for battery temperature, power state, observation duration, and vehicle-level testing conditions. The previous requirement—which called for a five-minute advance warning before a fire or explosion—has been replaced with stricter criteria: batteries must not catch fire or explode at all (though early warning is still required), and any smoke produced must pose no harm to vehicle occupants.
Bottom Impact Testing: A new test has been added to evaluate the battery's resilience to impacts from below—such as road debris or chassis collisions. Batteries must exhibit no leakage, casing rupture, fire, or explosion, and must maintain adequate insulation resistance.
Post-Fast-Charging Safety Assessment: After 300 cycles of fast charging, batteries will undergo an external short-circuit test. They must remain stable during the test, with no fire or explosion.
The revised standard also clarifies its scope: it applies specifically to traction batteries used for vehicle propulsion and does not cover non-driving-related battery systems. Additionally, insulation resistance requirements have been expanded to include battery systems with alternating current (AC) circuits. Crush test protocols have also been tightened, introducing updated criteria related to insulation performance.
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