BEIJING, China: China will raise battery safety standards for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, aiming to tackle fire and explosion risks as the country's new energy vehicle market continues to surge.

This week, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released updated technical regulations for EVs and plug-in hybrid batteries. The new rules, which take effect in July 2026, will require automakers to meet stricter safety tests designed to prevent fires caused by thermal runaway — a rapid increase in battery temperature that can lead to combustion or explosions.

The standards include tougher impact and fast-charging tolerance tests, building on a 2020 requirement that EVs provide at least a five-minute warning before potential fires.

The move comes as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, collectively known as new energy vehicles (NEVs), now account for more than half of monthly new car sales in China. That figure far outpaces Beijing's earlier targets — set in 2015 and revised in 2020 — for NEVs to reach 20% of total sales by 2025 and more than 50% by 2035.

According to a June 2024 report by CCTV, EVs are statistically less likely to catch fire than gasoline-powered vehicles, but concerns persist. Social media in China frequently amplifies reports of NEV-related fires, many of which are unverified.

A deadly accident in March involving a Xiaomi sedan reignited debate over EV safety. The car, traveling at 97 km/h, crashed into a roadside pole and caught fire. Reports indicated the vehicle's advanced driving assistance system was active at the time. The incident spurred renewed scrutiny of smart-driving technologies.

In response, Chinese state media have called on automakers to avoid overstating the capabilities of their semi-autonomous systems and prioritize user safety.

The newly released standards, said to have been approved by regulators in March but only published this week, are part of a broader push to ensure the safety of NEVs as the industry continues to expand rapidly, buoyed by over a decade of strong government support.