26 Mandatory Auto Safety Standards Take Effect July 1, 2026, Covering EV Safety and Side-Impact Protection

On July 1, 2026, 26 mandatory national standards for automotive testing will take effect simultaneously, bringing the total number of new automotive national standards implemented throughout the year to over 80. Among these, the "Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicles" and the "Safety Requirements for Traction Batteries Used in Electric Vehicles" impose stricter technical requirements on the design, production, and testing of electric vehicles and their batteries. These standards introduce a new "underbody impact test" and, for the first time, define the "one-touch power cutoff" as a physical power-disconnection device. The standard "Protection of Occupants in Side Impacts" increases the mass of the side-impact sled from 950 kg to 1,400 kg and adds new requirements regarding automatic activation of hazard warning lights and ease of door opening after a collision. China currently has more than 30 national standards related to automotive passive safety either in force or scheduled for implementation.