The world’s biggest battery maker, CATL, became the first company to meet the latest Chinese “No Fire, No Explosion” national safety standard. This regulation will come into force on July 1, 2026. It requires batteries to prevent fire and explosion after an internal runaway occurs.
The new version of the mandatory national standard for battery safety, called GB 38031-2025, was released on March 28, 2025. Its biggest change is the thermal diffusion test requirement. The new standard requires batteries not to catch fire or explode during thermal runaway events. Smoke generated by the battery must not harm vehicle occupants. The previous standard required warning signals before a fire or explosion.
To meet the standard, battery makers need to pass new tests. The first one is the bottom impact testing. It aims to evaluate battery protection capabilities. The second test requires the battery to withstand 300 fast-charging cycles without fire or explosion during subsequent short-circuit tests. These requirements will come into force on July 1, 2026. However, the world’s biggest battery maker announced it has already obtained the new standard.
CATL met the “No Fire, No Explosion” standard
On April 29, CATL officially announced it had obtained two GB 38031-2025 “Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles” tests. Both battery cells and battery packs were tested. As a result, CATL has become the first company to meet the new standard.
According to CATL, the Qilin battery was submitted for inspection. It was first introduced to the market in June 2022 as the third generation of CATL’s CTP (cell-to-pack) technology. It boasts a volume utilization efficiency of 72% and an energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg. The company announced that the Qilin battery has a stable load-bearing structure and enhanced protection from thermal runaway.
CATL said that the test report was issued by the third-party certification agency called China Automotive Technology & Research Center (CATARC). It is a well-known group of companies that provides product testing and certification. CATARC also runs C-NCAP crash and safety evaluation tests in China. Representatives of the Energy System Department of China Automotive Technology and the CATL Test and Verification Center also attended the awarding ceremony.
CATL said it will continuously improve the safety levels of power battery heat diffusion, bottom protection, fast charging safety, and other aspects through technological innovation. Meeting the new standard over a year ahead of the effective date showcases the CATL’s dominance in the field of safer batteries.
In February 2025, it was announced that over 18 million vehicles around the world are equipped with CATL-made batteries. Speaking of Qilin battery, it is used by Aito, Zeekr, Li Auto, Xiaomi, Neta, Avatr, Lotus, and other well-known car manufacturers.
