Dec 27, 2025 12:03 PM CET - Adrian Leung
China has completed the formulation and revision of 294 national standards across 13 key sectors, with electric-vehicle power-battery safety requirements formally upgraded to mandatory status for the first time, according to information released by the State Administration for Market Regulation on December 26 and reported by
CCTV. The standards were issued under an action plan jointly released by seven government departments and have now been approved, published, and set to take effect.
A separate group of 115 national standards targets sectors closely aligned with everyday consumer demand, including automobiles, home appliances, home furnishings, and emerging consumer products. Within this category, electric vehicle power battery safety standards were revised to require that batteries not catch fire or explode, marking the first time such criteria have been explicitly defined as mandatory technical requirements at the national level.
Liu Hongsheng, director of the Standards Technology Department at the State Administration for Market Regulation, said that the electric vehicle power battery safety standards represent a breakthrough in safety
regulation. He stated that the mandate will require automakers to optimize battery structures and thermal management systems to improve the overall safety of new energy vehicles.
According to a recent summary from
GDESTL, the revised national standard GB 38031-2025 is scheduled to take effect on
July 1, 2026. The summary states that new type approvals will be subject to the updated requirements from that date. In contrast, vehicles that have already received approval under previous standards are expected to follow differentiated transition arrangements, commonly extending to July 1, 2027.