ICS 43.120
CCS T 47
National Standard of the People’s Republic of China
GB 38031-2025
Replaces GB 38031-2020
Electric vehicles traction battery safety requirements
(English Translation)
Issue date: 2025-03-28 Implementation date: 2026-07-01
Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People's Republic of China
the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Symbols and abbreviations
4.1 Symbols
4.2 Abbreviations
5 Safety requirements
5.1 Safety requirements for battery cell
5.2 Safety requirements for battery pack or system
6 Test conditions
6.1 General conditions
6.2 Accuracy of measuring apparatuses and meters
6.3 Error in test process
6.4 Data recording and its interval
7 Test preparation
7.1 Test preparation of battery cell
7.2 Test preparation for battery pack or system
8 Test methods
8.1 Test methods for battery cell safety
8.2 Safety test methods for battery pack or system
9 Judgment of the same type
10 Implementation of this standard
Annex A (Informative) Examples for typical structure of battery pack and system
Annex B (Normative) Test method for insulation resistance of battery pack or system
Annex C (Normative) Thermal propagation analysis and verification report
Bibliography
Electric vehicles traction battery safety requirements
1 Scope
This document specifies the safety requirements for cell, pack or system of electric vehicle traction battery (hereinafter referred to as battery), and describes corresponding test methods.
This document is applicable to electric vehicle traction battery.
2 Normative references
The following documents contain requirements which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
GB/T 2423.4 Environmental testing for electric and electronic products - Part 2: Test method - Test Db: Damp heat, cyclic (12h+12h cycle)
GB/T 2423.17-2024 Environmental testing - Part 2: Test methods - Test Ka: Salt mist
GB/T 2423.43 Environmental testing for electric and electronic products - Part 2: Test methods - Mounting of specimens for vibration impact and similar dynamic tests
GB/T 2423.56 Environmental testing - Part 2: Test methods - Test Fh: Vibration, broad-band random and guidance
GB/T 4208-2017 Degrees of protection provided by enclosure (IP code)
GB/T 19596 Terminology of electric vehicles
GB/T 28046.4-2011 Road vehicles - Environmental conditions and testing for electrical and electronic equipment - Part 4: Climatic loads
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in GB/T 19596 and the following apply.
3.1
battery cell
basic unit device that converts chemical energy and electric energy to each other
Note: It generally includes electrode, diaphragm, electrolyte, housing and terminal, and is also designed to be rechargeable.
3.2
battery module
an assembly composed of two or more battery cells in series connection, parallel connection or combination thereof, which is used as a power supply
3.3
battery pack
unit which is capable of obtaining external electric energy and outputting electric energy outwards
Note: It generally includes battery cell, battery management module (excluding BCU), battery compartment and corresponding accessories (cooling components, connecting cables, etc.).
3.4
battery system
energy storage device consisting of one or more battery pack(s) and corresponding accessories (management system, high voltage circuit, low voltage circuit, mechanical assembly, etc.)
3.5
battery subsystem
arbitrary energy storage collection consisting of components of a battery pack or system
3.6
battery electronics
electronic device collecting or simultaneously monitoring the electric and thermal data of battery pack
Note: The battery electronics may include cell controllers and the electronics for equalization of battery cells. The equalization between battery cells may be controlled by the battery electronics or battery control unit.
3.7
battery control unit
electronic device controlling, managing, detecting, or calculating relevant electric and thermal parameters of the battery system and providing communication between the battery system and other vehicle controllers
3.8
rated capacity
capacity of battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system declared by the manufacturer after measurement under the conditions specified by the manufacturer
Note: Generally, the rated capacity is expressed in Ah or mAh.
3.9
practical capacity
capacity released from a fully charged battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system under the conditions specified by the manufacturer
3.10
state-of-charge
percentage of capacity which may be released by the current battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system under the discharge conditions specified by the manufacturer in respect of the practical capacity
3.11
explosion
sudden release of energy sufficient to generate pressure waves or jets
Note: The pressure waves or jets may cause structural or physical damage to the surrounding area.
3.12
fire
situation that any part of the battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system keeps burning (for a duration of greater than 1s)
Note 1: The burning duration of greater than 1s refers to the duration of single fire other than cumulative time of multiple ones.
Note 2: Visual judgment shall be made without disassembling the test object. The spark and arc discharge is not considered as combustion.
3.13
housing crack
mechanical damage to the housing of battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system due to internal or external factors, resulting in exposure or spillage of inner matter
3.14
leakage
phenomenon that visible matter is leaked out of the test object from battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system
Note: Visible matters are judged visually without disassembling the test object.
3.15
thermal event
phenomenon that the temperature within the battery pack or system is significantly higher than the maximum operating temperature (as defined by the manufacturer)
3.16
thermal runaway
uncontrollable temperature rise of the battery caused by the exothermic chain reaction of the battery cell
3.17
thermal propagation
successive thermal runaway of the rest battery cells caused by the thermal runaway of a battery cell in a battery pack or system
3.18
end-of-charge voltage
allowable maximum voltage of battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system during charging under the conditions specified by the manufacturer
3.19
end-of-discharge voltage
allowable minimum voltage of battery cell, battery module, battery pack or system during discharging under the conditions specified by the manufacturer
3.20
body frame
space frame structure constructed to ensure the strength and rigidity of the vehicle body
[Source: GB/T 4780-2020, 4.4.3]
4 Symbols and abbreviations
4.1 Symbols
For the purposes of this document, the following symbols apply.
I1: 1h rate discharge current (A), which is equal to the rated capacity.
I3: 3h rate discharge current (A), which is equal to 1/3 of the rated capacity.
4.2 Abbreviations
For the purposes of this document, the following abbreviations apply.
BCU: battery control unit
FS: full scale
PSD: power spectral density
RMS: root mean square
SOC: state-of-charge
5 Safety requirements
5.1 Safety requirements for battery cell
5.1.1 When subjected to overdischarge test in accordance with 8.1.2, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.2 When subjected to overcharge test in accordance with 8.1.3, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.3 When subjected to external short circuit test in accordance with 8.1.4, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.4 When subjected to heating test in accordance with 8.1.5, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.5 When subjected to temperature cycle test in accordance with 8.1.6, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.6 When subjected to extrusion test in accordance with 8.1.7, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.1.7 When subjected to safety test after fast charging cycle in accordance with 8.1.8, the battery cell shall be free from fire and explosion.
5.2 Safety requirements for battery pack or system
5.2.1 When subjected to vibration test in accordance with 8.2.1, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.2 When subjected to mechanical shock test in accordance with 8.2.2, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.3 When subjected to simulated collision test in accordance with 8.2.3, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.4 When subjected to extrusion test in accordance with 8.2.4, the battery pack or system shall be free from fire and explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.5 When subjected to damp heat cycling test in accordance with 8.2.5, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance within 30min after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.6 When subjected to water immersion test in accordance with 8.2.6, the battery pack or system shall meet one of the following requirements.
a) It shall be free from fire or explosion when tested according to Method I.
b) It shall meet the IPX7 requirements in GB/T 4208-2017 and be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion after being tested according to Method II. The insulation resistance after the test is not less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.7 When subjected to thermal stability test in accordance with 8.2.7, the battery pack or system (except NI-MH battery pack or system) shall meet the following requirements.
a) When subjected to external fire test in accordance with 8.2.7.1, the battery pack or system shall be free from explosion.
b) When subjected to thermal propagation analysis and verification in accordance with 8.2.7.2, the battery pack or system or the complete vehicle shall:
1) be free from fire or explosion;
2) provide a thermal event alarm signal, which shall be issued within 5min after triggering the thermal runaway of the battery cell;
3) for test at battery pack or system level, provide technical documents indicating that the smoke does not cause danger to the passenger compartment before the thermal event alarm signal is issued and within 5min after the thermal event alarm signal is issued; for test at complete vehicle level, no smoke enters the passenger compartment before the thermal event alarm signal is issued and within 5min after the thermal event alarm signal is issued.
5.2.8 When subjected to temperature shock test in accordance with 8.2.8, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.9 When subjected to salt mist test in accordance with 8.2.9, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.10 When subjected to high-altitude test in accordance with 8.2.10, the battery pack or system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.11 When subjected to overtemperature protection test in accordance with 8.2.11, the battery system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.12 When subjected to overcurrent protection test in accordance with 8.2.12, the battery system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.13 When subjected to external short circuit protection test in accordance with 8.2.13, the battery system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.14 When subjected to overcharge protection test in accordance with 8.2.14, the battery system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.15 When subjected to overdischarge protection test in accordance with 8.2.15, the battery system shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
5.2.16 When subjected to bottom impact test in accordance with 8.2.16, the battery pack or system or the complete vehicle shall be free from leakage, housing crack, fire or explosion. The insulation resistance after the test shall not be less than 100Ω/V. If there is an AC circuit, the insulation resistance shall not be less than 500Ω/V.
6 Test conditions
6.1 General conditions
6.1.1 Unless otherwise specified, the ambient temperature is 22℃±5℃, the relative humidity is 10% to 90%, and the atmospheric pressure is 86kPa to 106kPa for the test.
6.1.2 If a battery cell is taken as the test object, it may be tested with tooling fixtures. If the battery cell cannot work independently, the battery module shall be tested, and the safety requirements of 5.1 shall be met.
6.1.3 The battery pack or system enveloped by the body frame and forming a battery pack compartment may be tested with the compartment or body frame.
6.1.4 Necessary operation documents and the interface components (e.g., connector, plug and cooling system interface) required for connection with the test equipment shall be included when the battery pack or system test is delivered. See Annex A for the typical structure of the battery pack or system. In addition, the additional sensors, wires and fixtures shall not affect the test results. The manufacturer shall provide the safe working limits of the battery pack or system.
6.1.5 The battery pack or system shall be subjected to insulation resistance test before all tests and after some tests. The test is carried out between the positive or negative output terminal and the electrical chassis. See Annex B for the specific test method.
6.1.6 If some tests are not applicable to the battery pack or system for some reason (such as dimension or mass), the manufacturer may, in agreement with the testing organization, take a battery subsystem as the test object for all or some of the tests. However, the subsystem to be tested shall contain all parts (such as connecting components or protective components) relevant to the requirements of the complete vehicle. If a battery subsystem is selected for test, it shall be demonstrated that the test results are representative of the safety performance of the battery pack or system under the same conditions.
6.1.7 Method of adjusting SOC to the test target value n%: fully charge the battery cell, pack or system according to the charging method provided by the manufacturer, keep it still for 1h, and discharge at a constant current of 1I3 for t, which is calculated using Equation (1), or adjust SOC using the method provided by the manufacturer. After each SOC adjustment, keep the test object still for a period of 30min or according to the conditions specified by the manufacturer before commencing a new test.
(1)
Where,
t——the discharging time, h;
n——the percentage of test target value, %.
6.1.8 The rate of charge/discharge, the charging/discharging method and the end-of-charge/end-of-discharge conditions during the test are provided by the manufacturer.
6.1.9 The practical capacity of the battery cell shall not be less than the rated capacity and shall not exceed 110% of the rated capacity. The absolute value of the difference between the practical capacity and the rated capacity of the battery pack or system shall not exceed 5% of the rated capacity.
6.1.10 Unless otherwise specified, all the test objects shall be tested in the maximum working state-of-charge specified by the manufacturer.
6.1.11 The symbols for discharge and charge currents of the battery cell, pack or system are positive and negative respectively.
6.2 Accuracy of measuring apparatuses and meters
The accuracy of measuring apparatuses and meters shall at least meet the following requirements:
a) voltage measuring device: ±0.5%FS;
b) current measuring device: ±0.5%FS;
c) temperature measuring device: ±1℃;
d) humidity measuring device: ±2% (relative humidity);
e) time measuring device: ±0.1s;
f) dimension measuring device: ±0.1%FS;
g) mass measuring device: ±0.1%FS;
h) pressure measuring device: ±1%FS.
6.3 Error in test process
The error between the control value (actual value) and the target value shall be as follows:
a) voltage: ±1%;
b) current: ±1%;
c) temperature: ±2℃;
d) time: ±0.1s.
6.4 Data recording and its interval
Unless otherwise specified, the interval for recording test data (such as voltage, current, temperature and time) shall not exceed 15s.
7 Test preparation
7.1 Test preparation of battery cell
7.1.1 Standard charge
Discharge the battery cell to the end-of-discharge voltage specified in the manufacturer's technical specifications at a current of not less than 1I3, and keep it still for 1h (or a period not more than 1h provided by the manufacturer), then charge according to the charging method provided by the manufacturer, and keep it still for 1h (or a period not more than 1h provided by the manufacturer) after charging.
If the charge method is not provided by the manufacturer, an appropriate charge method shall be determined by the testing organization and the manufacturer through negotiation, or the charge shall be carried out according to the following methods:
Charge the battery cell at a constant current of 1I3 to the end-of-charge voltage as specified in the manufacturer's technical specifications, and then charge at a constant voltage until the charge current drops to 0.05I1, and then keep it still for 1h (or a period not more than 1h provided by the manufacturer).
7.1.2 Pre-conditioning
7.1.2.1 Before official start of the test, the battery cell shall be pre-conditioned as follows:
a) conduct standard charge for the battery cell in accordance with 7.1.1;
b) discharge the battery cell at a current not less than 1I3 as specified by the manufacturer until meeting the end-of-discharge conditions specified by the manufacturer;
c) keep it still for 1h (or a period not more than 1h provided by the manufacturer);
d) repeat steps a) to c) for not more than 5 times.
7.1.2.2 If the range of discharge capacity of the battery cell for three successive times is not greater than 3% of the rated capacity, it will be regarded that the battery cell has completed pre-conditioning, and pre-conditioning cycle may be terminated. The average of the last three test results may be taken as the practical capacity.
7.2 Test preparation for battery pack or system
7.2.1 Confirmation of working state
The battery electronics or BCU shall be in normal working condition before official start of the test.
7.2.2 Pre-conditioning
7.2.2.1 Before official start of the test, the battery pack or system shall be subjected to the pre-conditioning cycle as follows:
a) charge the battery pack or system at a current of not less than 1I3 or according to the charging method recommended by the manufacturer, until meeting the end-of-charge conditions specified by the manufacturer;
b) keep it still for 30min or a period specified by the manufacturer;
c) discharge the battery pack or system at a current of not less than 1I3 as specified by the manufacturer until meeting the end-of-discharge conditions specified by the manufacturer;
d) keep it still for 30min or a period specified by the manufacturer;
e) repeat steps a) to d) for not more than 5 times.
7.2.2.2 If the variation of discharge capacity of the battery pack or system for two successive times is not greater than 3% of the rated capacity, it will be regarded that the battery pack or system has completed pre-conditioning, and pre-conditioning cycle may be terminated. The average of the last two test results may be taken as the practical capacity.
7.2.2.3 Unless otherwise specified, an additional charge shall be carried out if the time interval between the completion of pre-conditioning cycle and adjustment to the maximum working state-of-charge and the beginning of a new test item is greater than 24h: charge to the end-of-charge conditions specified by the manufacturer at the current of at least 1I3 or according to the charging method recommended by the manufacturer; keep it still for 30min or a period specified by the manufacturer.
8.1.8 Safety after fast charging cycle
_________________
Foreword i
Introduction iv
1 Scope
2 Normative references
3 Terms and definitions
4 Symbols and abbreviations
4.1 Symbols
4.2 Abbreviations
5 Safety requirements
5.1 Safety requirements for battery cell
5.2 Safety requirements for battery pack or system
6 Test conditions
6.1 General conditions
6.2 Accuracy of measuring apparatuses and meters
6.3 Error in test process
6.4 Data recording and its interval
7 Test preparation
7.1 Test preparation of battery cell
7.2 Test preparation for battery pack or system
8 Test methods
8.1 Test methods for battery cell safety
8.2 Safety test methods for battery pack or system
9 Judgment of the same type
10 Implementation of this standard
Annex A (Informative) Examples for typical structure of battery pack and system
Annex B (Normative) Test method for insulation resistance of battery pack or system
Annex C (Normative) Thermal propagation analysis and verification report
Bibliography
