China introduces increased fire safety requirements for traction batteries of electric vehicles

One of the main “horror stories” that are holding back consumer acceptance of electric vehicles is the allegedly high fire hazard of traction batteries. In China, new, more stringent safety requirements for this type of product will be introduced from July next year, which will reduce the number of traction battery fires.

Image source: CATL

As CarNewsChina explains, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has proposed introducing new fire safety testing standards for traction batteries in China from July 1, 2026. The new version of the industry rules becomes the world’s first standard requiring traction battery manufacturers to prevent fires even when the so-called “thermal runaway” occurs, when a chemical reaction with the release of heat inside the battery leads to almost irreversible consequences. The thermal runaway test will become mandatory for traction battery manufacturers in China. Moreover, the new requirements imply that even if the thermochemical reaction inside the traction battery has already begun, the smoke emitted should not harm the health of people inside the electric vehicle.

The previous version of the standard was limited to the existence of a mechanism to warn passengers and the driver about the inevitability of a fire five minutes before it starts. In the new version, the mandatory testing program includes checking the consequences of mechanical impact on the traction battery when the bottom of the car hits an obstacle. The reliability of the express charging process in the future will be checked during a new test, which implies the ability of the traction battery to withstand 300 cycles followed by a short circuit test, after which it should not ignite.

Industry experts believe that the introduction of stricter regulations will lead to consolidation of China’s traction battery industry, which has already spawned two dominant players in CATL and BYD. The former, by the way, introduced thermal runaway protection technology into the production of its traction batteries back in 2020, so its products at least comply with one of the requirements imposed by regulators. Consumer confidence in higher battery safety will ultimately drive demand for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.