China overhauls EV regulations with tough mandatory fire safety standards

17 June 2026

There's a major shift on the automotive horizon as China introduces tough new safety regulations for electric cars. Starting July 1, 2026, two mandatory national standards will officially take effect across the country. The new rules target both the vehicle and the battery systems inside it. Government bodies like the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with the State Administration for Market Regulation, will enforce strict requirements to protect buyers and emergency workers. With ownership climbing to 44 million vehicles in China by the end of last year, regulators decided that voluntary guidelines are not enough to manage public safety.

The unstoppable growth of the Chinese market highlights the need for updated safety rules. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers revealed that production and sales recovered strongly in May 2026. Local automakers produced 1.554 million cars and sold 1.496 million new energy vehicles in that one month alone.

One of the most important vehicle-level updates comes from the new safety standard named GB18384-2025. This regulation introduces a mandatory, physical "one-touch power-off" mechanism inside the cabin. In the past, automakers relied on software programs to shut down high-voltage electrical circuits during emergencies - because everyone knows software never crashes or freezes during a serious accident… The new physical switch allows drivers or rescue workers to cut off the main energy storage system manually with a single movement, increasing efficiency during emergency operations.

The second piece of legislation, referred to as GB38031-2025, completely upgrades battery-level safety requirements. The biggest change involves how the system handles thermal runaway (when a battery cell overheats and triggers a chain reaction). Until now, regulations required a battery pack to send a warning signal at least five minutes ahead of a fire or explosion, which sounds almost unbelievable. Thankfully, the updated standard shifts the requirement completely: the battery pack has to remain free of any fire or explosion. The system must still sound an alarm to alert the driver, but the physical pack itself must prevent fires entirely, and smoke must not harm vehicle occupants.

In addition to thermal protection, the updated battery regulations introduce tough physical testing methods to simulate real-world accidents. A new bottom-impact test forces manufacturers to evaluate how well a battery pack resists collisions underneath the vehicle, such as striking debris on the highway. This test ensures that the protective casing shields the internal cells from puncture. The legislation also addresses battery degradation over time by requiring a safety test after 300 fast-charging cycles. Following the fast-charging cycles, the pack must successfully withstand external short-circuit tests without catching fire or exploding.

Automotive experts believe the new safety benchmarks will change the market landscape. By forcing all companies to meet strict legal rules, the regulations will likely accelerate industry consolidation. Manufacturers that rely on low-quality components and low-price strategies to win customers will struggle to survive. This shift should stop unfair competition based on cheap, unsafe items. Clearer safety regulations will help the financial and automotive industries as well - Dr. Han Guangshuai from Tongji University noted that the clear standards will give the insurance industry better data, which could resolve the high premiums and insurance difficulties affecting used EVs.

Major battery manufacturers and vehicle brands have already prepared for the transition to the new safety levels. CATL, the largest global producer of batteries for electric cars, reported that its full line of mass-produced passenger and commercial vehicle battery products successfully passed the national testing procedures back in May 2025. BYD confirmed that its second-generation Blade Battery passed the new standards and even exceeded the minimum legal safety numbers. These early preparations show that top companies saw the regulatory changes coming and adjusted their engineering early.

According to Wu Kai, a well-known scientist from CATL and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the full implementation of the new rules will change safety expectations completely. He explained at the 2026 Equipment Power Forum that once these rules are active, the spontaneous combustion rate of Chinese EVs should drop to a level that is an order of magnitude lower than that of traditional gasoline cars. Chinese regulators continue to work on additional rules. The government recently published another safety standard called Fire Detectors for Vehicles (GB47497-2026) to improve early warnings for thermal events.

The long-term benefits of the new laws look great for consumer trust, but the rules might create some short-term challenges for vehicle prices. Industry analysts expect the strict testing and updated battery structures to put some pressure on manufacturing costs, and these higher expenses could influence the retail prices of EVs launched after July.

Via