Electric vehicles (EVs) have an issue where they explode when they catch fire. EV batteries are the most risky component in an EV, with various safety standards introduced to prevent this from happening. In China, for example, there are EV companies that have developed technology that ejects batteries in the event of an accident to prevent vehicles from catching fire.
On December 26, the State Administration for Market Regulation approved 294 new national standards covering 13 key areas as part of a plan to upgrade industry and consumer standards. Notable among these is the new safety standard for EV batteries with the requirement of “no fire, no explosion”.
The new EV battery standard will come into effect in July 2026, with new electric vehicles to comply with it after that date. Vehicles that have received approval under the previous standard are expected to follow different transitional arrangements, which are usually in effect until July 1, 2027.
With this, China wants to reduce the risk of deaths and injuries due to EV fires from occurring in the future. China also recently introduced new regulations banning concealed door handles and mandating mechanical door openers on the outside and inside of EV vehicles. This follows an incident where a car accident victim died after the doors could not be opened due to a complete failure of the electric door system.
