ELECTRIC cars and other new energy vehicles (NEVs) will be subject to increased safety checks in China, amid driver concern over issues ranging from battery fires to brake failures.

NEV makers will be required to strengthen safety monitoring and management systems, according to draft guidelines issued yesterday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. They will also be required to improve quality defects, from vehicle design and testing to upstream supply chains.

Under the proposed changes, automakers will have to set up a 24-hour emergency response system for possible major accidents. Companies whose cars are involved in accidents or defy regular checks may face penalties including being removed from government subsidies or production suspensions.

Issues such as battery fires, brake failure, sudden loss of power or mechanical defects have become a major concern in customers’ purchasing decisions.

Sales of NEVs in China surged in the past three quarters of the year to 2.16 million units, up 190 percent year on year and making up 11.6 percent of China’s overall market, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed earlier this month.

In September alone, NEV production and sales reached approximately 353,000 and 357,000 units, respectively, both logging a year-on-year growth of 150 percent, CAAM data showed.

The CAAM said that NEV sales in China are likely to rise to 3 million units this year, up from 1.4 million last year.

NEVs are expected to make up over 35 percent of new vehicle sales in China in 2025, He Xiaopeng, CEO of electric car maker Xpeng Inc., said at an event yesterday.(SD-Agencies)