Post by Product Compliance @ EFS Consulting

China just raised the bar on EV battery safety — and the industry will feel it. As of 1 July 2026, two new mandatory standards are in force: GB 38031-2025 for traction battery safety and GB 18384-2025 for vehicle-level safety requirements. The headline change: battery systems must no longer catch fire or explode, even during thermal runaway — a major step up from the old rule, which only required a warning signal at least five minutes before a potential fire or explosion. Other key additions: 🔧 A new underbody impact test reflecting the shift toward cell-to-body battery integration ⚡ A durability-and-abuse test requiring batteries to withstand 300 fast-charging cycles before a short-circuit test 🛑 A mandatory physical one-touch mechanism to disconnect the high-voltage system — independent of software, since a severe collision damaging the control unit could otherwise cause the software-based cut-off to fail The market impact is already visible: compliance is expected to raise battery system costs by 15-20%, and observers expect the rules to accelerate consolidation, favoring large manufacturers with the technology already in place while straining smaller battery makers on R&D costs. LFP chemistries may also gain a relative competitive edge, given their inherent thermal stability advantage. 💡 For automotive OEMs and suppliers sourcing batteries or components for the Chinese market, this is a compliance deadline that's already active — not a future one. Understanding how GB 38031-2025 and GB 18384-2025 affect your supply chain and testing requirements should be a priority now. 👉 Follow us for more updates on international product compliance and automotive regulation. #realpeople #realbusiness #EFSConsulting #ProductCompliance #ProductComplianceNews #EVBattery