For Safety, The Chinese Government Restricts The Acceleration Of Electric Cars After Being Turned On

JAKARTA - The Chinese government is considering the latest national safety standard rules for motorized vehicles that include significant restrictions on acceleration capabilities for electric vehicles. This move comes in response to the increasing incidence of accidents involving high-performance electric vehicles in recent years.

Launching CnevPost, Thursday, November 13, in the draft regulation entitled "Technical Provisions for Operational Safety of Motor Vehicles" released last November 10, it is proposed that passenger vehicles should use standard settings.

For example, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/hour takes a minimum of 5 seconds. Drivers need to take special steps to activate high performance mode, so that there is a more conscious transition before the vehicle is used with fast acceleration.

The move aims to reduce safety risks associated with excessive acceleration. Chinese regulators consider that the rapid growth of high-performance electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles has put more drivers at risk of losing control.

Especially for vehicles that can achieve acceleration of 0100 km/h in less than two seconds. This kind of ability is considered too easily accessible without adequate preparation.

In comparison, vehicles commonly used in driving schools as well as most gasoline-engined cars take more than five seconds to reach that speed. A slower range of time is considered to provide a safer adaptation space for drivers, especially when the vehicle was first started.

The draft is still in the stage of public consultation and receiving input until January 10, 2026. If it is enforced as a national standard, limitation of default acceleration will become a mandatory provision for all vehicle manufacturers.

This rule will be implemented whenever the power system is enabled or after reset, with exceptions for the auto start-stop feature. Electric vehicle manufacturers are expected to need to customize the software and control system to ensure the restrictions run automatically.

For example, by holding back access to performance mode until the driver chooses it manually. This implementation is seen as a technical challenge as well as an important step in improving road safety.

Some observers assess that the effectiveness of this rule depends not only on technical restrictions, but also on adequate education regarding the characteristics of electric vehicle acceleration and driver understanding of the safety features available.