China’s top industry, market, and emergency response regulators held a joint video conference on June 19 to tighten safety controls over the country’s booming EV sector.

Co-organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Fire and Rescue Department, the meeting outlined key safety priorities for 2025. The three bureaus emphasized that automakers and battery manufacturers must take full responsibility for product safety, spanning design, production, and after-sales services.

Officials stressed that EV makers should actively mitigate safety risks, offer transparent safety disclosures to users, and avoid exaggeration or misleading promotion.

The meeting also warned against destructive competition tactics, urging companies to adopt a long-term approach rather than pursuing unsustainable short-term gains.

The heightened scrutiny comes amid China’s continued push for electrification, with EV adoption rising rapidly and a growing focus on ensuring that safety infrastructure keeps pace.

🔗 Source: 36Kr

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ China’s new battery standards raise the global safety bar while squeezing smaller manufacturers

The recent meeting reflects China’s broader push toward implementing the world’s strictest EV battery standards, which will mandate “no fire, no explosion” performance under extreme conditions by July 1, 2026 1.

These regulations aren’t just about safety—they’re poised to reshape the entire NEV ecosystem by potentially eliminating low-tier manufacturers, with industry analysts expecting over 30% of small battery firms to exit the market 1.

Battery Management Systems (BMS) will need to achieve ASIL-D certification, which can reduce hardware failure rates by 90%, fundamentally changing how manufacturers approach safety systems 1.

The government’s emphasis against “involution-style” competition addresses a specific economic challenge: compliance with these standards is expected to increase costs by 15-20% due to required material upgrades 1.

This regulatory approach explains why authorities are now actively warning manufacturers against cutting corners. The standards represent both a safety improvement and a significant industry consolidation mechanism.

2️⃣ China’s evolving NEV strategy balances strict regulations with industrial autonomy

The three-department meeting continues China’s deliberate shift in how it governs the NEV sector, moving from direct technology decisions toward creating regulatory frameworks while allowing manufacturers more technological freedom 2.

This approach is part of China’s 15-year development plan (2020-2035) that aims to consolidate its leading position in the global NEV market through a balance of government oversight and corporate innovation 2.