China is tightening regulations on battery-powered vehicles and will require its automakers to comply with higher battery safety standards, aiming to reduce risks of fire and explosions in the fast-growing sector.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday issued a set of technical standards for the batteries in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which make up more than half of new car sales in the country.
The rules set out stricter mandatory tests which will require companies to ensure their batteries won’t catch fire or explode in tests with a specified time period,