【Text by Observers Network, Pan Yuchen; Editor: Gao Xin】On March 28 this year, the mandatory national standard "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" (GB38031-2025), formulated by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was officially released and will be implemented from July 1, 2026. This is the first revision of the standard in five years.

Ningde Times Qilin Battery, Visual China

The Japan Economic News noted that Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are accelerating to cope with the revised and more stringent battery safety standards. Among them, industry giants such as Ningde Times and BYD have completed their countermeasures, but small and medium-sized enterprises face high costs for product updates and the risk of being eliminated from the market.

The media also reported that China's reason for revising the battery safety standards is to seize global leadership in this field.

Accelerating Industry Consolidation

According to the "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" (GB38031-2025) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, there are a total of 7 single-item tests and 17 battery pack or system tests; among them, there are 3 new or important revised items, and 18 general modification items, which only involve minor adjustments in requirements or methods.

Main Revisions of the 2025 Edition, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Thermal runaways testing is one of the main revisions in the 2025 edition of the standard. The 2025 edition further clarifies the temperature requirements for the tested battery, power-on and power-off status, observation time, and整车 test conditions. The technical requirements have been adjusted from providing thermal event alarm signals 5 minutes before fire or explosion, to not catching fire or exploding (still requiring alarms) and smoke not causing harm to passengers.

Main Revision Point - Thermal Runaway Testing, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

In addition, the 2025 edition of the standard has added bottom impact testing, examining the protective capability of the battery when the bottom is impacted; it has also added fast charging cycle safety testing, where after 300 fast charging cycles, an external short circuit test is conducted, requiring no fire or explosion, etc.

Against this background, Chinese battery giants have quickly taken action. Products such as Ningde Times' Qilin Battery and BYD's Blade Battery have announced that they meet the new standards. A senior executive from Ningde Times stated that the new standards will play an important role in leading the development of industry safety technology.

On the other hand, implementing stricter standards may also accelerate the industry's consolidation. According to the Shenzhen New Energy Vehicle Industry Association, small and medium-sized battery companies need to spend over RMB 500 million to produce batteries that meet this standard. If they cannot bear this cost, it is expected that the production capacity of battery factories in China will decrease by 30% by 2027.

Since 2022, nearly 20 power battery manufacturers have been approved in China. Therefore, the formulation of the new standard may accelerate the elimination of non-compliant battery companies, allowing the industry structure to be updated.

Strengthening Safety, Dispelling Concerns

According to Tang Jin, a senior research director at Mizuho Bank's Business Solutions Department, another purpose of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in formulating the new standard is to dispel consumer concerns about the safety of electric vehicles, thereby promoting the popularization of new energy vehicles.

In recent years, battery-related fire incidents have occurred frequently around the world. In August 2024, a Mercedes EQE in South Korea caught fire in an underground parking garage, triggering a large-scale fire. According to Mercedes Korea, the vehicle's battery was produced by Farasis Energy.

Farasis Energy had partnered with Mercedes in 2018, becoming its battery supplier. In 2020, Mercedes invested in Farasis Energy as a strategic investor, currently holding 2.64% of the company's shares.

August 2024, a Mercedes EQE caught fire in an underground parking garage in South Korea, Reuters

Regarding the news of the fire in South Korea, the secretary of Farasis Energy responded to investor inquiries, stating that Farasis Energy is one of the main suppliers for the Mercedes EQE, providing module products; relevant information will be based on the results of Mercedes' investigation.

In South Korea, the batteries used in electric vehicles were not publicly available information. However, due to the battery brand of the involved vehicle being different from what was previously circulated, the car owner's call for the disclosure of the battery manufacturer's information has risen sharply.

The Japan Economic News stated that if Chinese batteries continue to catch fire abroad, it may damage consumers' trust in "Made in China".

Standardization Leading the Global Industry

The Japan Economic News also mentioned that another goal of China's revision of the standard is to gain dominance in the global industry.

Data from SNE Research, a South Korean battery research institution, show that from January to April this year, the market share of the top three Chinese battery manufacturers, including CATL, reached 38.7% in the global automotive battery market outside of China, matching the 39.7% share of South Korean companies. In the Chinese market, sales of new energy vehicles have accounted for half of the total passenger vehicle sales.

Global Automotive Battery Market Share Outside China, Nikkei Chinese Website

Currently, China, like Europe, the United States, and Japan, has become an important member of the United Nations World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (UN/WP29) and is discussing the development of global technical standards regarding the safety of electric vehicles.

In the view of the Japan Economic News, if China implements a new standard using new testing methods, and if this standard is globally assessed as relatively strict, it would benefit the overseas operations of Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers.

Additionally, the industry expects that solid-state batteries, considered as the next-generation power batteries, will begin to be equipped on electric vehicles around 2030. In the development of solid-state batteries, Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean battery companies are competing. In this context, China hopes to take the lead in the battery industry and consolidate its overseas market foundation.

This article is exclusive to Observers Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523210555234992679/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [Up/Down] buttons below.