New Battery Standards: What EV Buyers Need to Know

The new national standard for power batteries in new energy vehicles, titled Safety Requirements for Power Batteries in Electric Vehicles (GB 38031-2025), is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and has already ignited significant industry debate.

The updated standards impose stricter safety requirements for power batteries. Some automotive influencers have even “advised” consumers to hold off on buying EVs until after July 2026.

Automakers, however, are eager to avoid such hesitation. Since May, companies like Geely (Zeekr), Great Wall Motors, SAIC-GM, IM Motors, Dongfeng Nissan, GAC Toyota, Leapmotor, and XPeng have announced that their current battery systems already comply with the new standards.

On the supply side, CATL, a core battery supplier, claims to have secured the industry’s first compliance certificate, signaling that its batteries meet the new requirements a year early.

Amid conflicting narratives from media and industry players, consumers are left confused:

• What exactly do the new battery standards entail?
• Will they drive up battery costs and, by extension, EV prices?
• Should buyers wait until 2026 to purchase an EV?

To answer these questions, we analyzed perspectives from automakers, battery suppliers, and upstream manufacturers. Here’s what we found.

What’s New in the “New National Standard”?

The revised standards focus on three major safety upgrades:

1. Thermal Propagation Testing

• Old standard: Relied on “nail penetration” and “external heating” tests.
• New standard: Adds an “internal heating” test to simulate internal short circuits, better reflecting real-world failure scenarios.

2. Stricter Thermal Runaway Requirements

• Batteries must not catch fire or explode within 2 hours of thermal runaway.
• A warning signal must be triggered within 5 minutes, followed by 5 additional minutes to ensure no toxic fumes enter the cabin.
• Temperature at monitoring points must not exceed 60°C (vs. no specific limit previously).

3. Bottom Impact Testing

• A 30mm-diameter impact head strikes the battery bottom three times at 150 joules of energy. Post-test, batteries must show no electrolyte leakage, casing rupture, fire, or explosion, while maintaining insulation resistance.
• This simulates common “battery scraping” scenarios, previously unaddressed in national standards.

4. Fast-Charge Durability

• Batteries supporting 4C+ fast charging must pass external short-circuit tests after 300 charge cycles, ensuring no fire or explosion.

Will EVs Get More Expensive After July 2026?

A People’s Daily report in April suggested the new standards could raise battery costs by 15–20%. But automakers and suppliers argue this only tells half the story.

“No Price Hikes” for Leaders

• Zeekr stated explicitly in an interview: “Our battery designs already meet or exceed the new standards. Costs and retail prices will not increase due to compliance.”
• Similar assurances came from Leapmotor, Great Wall Motors, and XPeng, whose battery systems reportedly surpass the new requirements.

Upstream Insights

• An electrolyte supplier revealed: “We’ve seen no signs of price hikes for new-standard compliance. If anything, electrolyte prices dropped this year.”
• Battery manufacturers are pressuring upstream partners to lower raw material costs, aligning with the broader trend of falling battery prices.

Industry Shakeout

• Smaller, less competitive battery suppliers face 20%+ cost increases due to upgrades like ceramic-coated separators (adding 1.2–2.4% to battery pack costs).
• “The new standards raise the floor,” said a battery industry insider. “Tail-end players must improve or exit, accelerating industry consolidation.”

How Far Are Consumers from “New Standard” Batteries?

The answer: They’re already here.

• Zeekr, Leapmotor, and others confirm their current models use batteries compliant with GB 38031-2025.
• Automakers dismiss the “wait until 2026” advice as unnecessary: “Safety is already guaranteed. Future improvements won’t hinge solely on these standards.”

The Hidden Competition

• Short-term: EVs with “old-standard” batteries (still legal until 2026) will face diminished consumer trust, squeezing marginal players.
• Long-term: Leaders like BYD, CATL, and CALB will compete to exceed the new standards, sparking a safety-focused tech race.

Conclusion

The new standards are less about immediate disruption and more about raising the safety baseline. While weaker suppliers may struggle, top players see compliance as routine. For consumers, there’s no need to wait—today’s EVs already meet tomorrow’s rules. The real battle lies in who can push safety even further.