The Chinese government announced new mandatory safety regulations for electric vehicles this week designed to improve product standards and provide consumers with additional protection and reassurance.

The new standards, formulated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardisation Administration of China, are targeted primarily at electric vehicles and their battery systems.

They are scheduled to come into force in January 2021.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Despite China being the world’s largest electric vehicle market, safety standards have so far been driven by the automakers resulting in various battery system designs available on the market, including thermal management systems.

The new regulations aim to provide minimum safety standards for the entire electrical systems, including a requirement for an onboard alarm system in the case of overheating batteries.

They also set minimum battery safety standards in the case of accidents, vehicle collisions and onboard fires.

Electric vehicle batteries will be required to withstand at least five minutes of overheating without causing a fire or explosion, allowing passengers sufficient time to exit the vehicle.

More stringent standards will apply to battery powered buses due to their large number of passengers, including fitment of batteries and minimum safety standards in the case of an onboard fire and collision.