At the end of March, China published its new EV battery safety standard GB38031-2025, replacing the previously applicable version GB38031-2020. Mandatory implementation for new vehicles begins on 1 July 2026, while existing vehicles must provide proof of compliance by 1 July 2027.

This results in a 12-month transition period to adapt to the updated requirements.

Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, CEO of ACCURE Battery Intelligence, a battery analytics company, says that the new standard isn’t just an update, but rather a full reset.

Among the core changes:

• 𝟮-𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Batteries must not catch fire or explode for 120 minutes post-thermal event. The previous requirement was 5 minutes. Internal temperatures must stay under 60 °C.

• 𝟱-𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. Thermal incidents must trigger an alarm within 5 minutes, with no visible smoke reaching the passenger cabin.

• 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. A 30mm steel ball dropped with 150J of energy. Internal heating simulations mimicking real-life cell shorts.

• 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀. Batteries must pass safety validation after 300 ultra-fast charge cycles (20–80% SOC).

• 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀. Extended salt spray exposure and delayed combustion testing are now mandatory.

This update is more than just a compliance checklist—it’s China making a bold move to lead the global conversation on battery safety. It’s a signal to automakers, suppliers, and regulators everywhere: Better is possible. And it’s coming fast.

—Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies

According to Kairies, those positioned to win include:

• Chinese battery giants such as CATL and BYD, which are already deploying multi-layer thermal management across cell, module, and system levels.

• Solid-state battery startups such as QingTao and WeLion. These rules might give fireproof chemistries an additional tailwind.

• Testing labs & certification orgs – the new regulation creates billions of additional annual business for (internal or external) test and certification groups.

Those in trouble include:

• Cost-constrained battery players – Meeting the new requirements may add 10–20% to pack costs.

• Legacy NMC chemistries.