The Need for Speed (Limits)
China’s Ministry of Public Security has drafted controversial new safety standards that would force all passenger vehicles to default to a slower 5-second sprint from zero to 62 mph. Don’t forget, this is the same China that’s been churning out rockets on wheels (with four doors, no less), now thinking that maybe its EVs have gotten a little too quick.
This comes at a curious time, considering Chinese automakers like Xiaomi have built their entire marketing campaigns around jaw-dropping acceleration figures. When an electric family sedan can embarrass a supercar at the lights, regulators are right to have safety concerns about putting that kind of power in just anyone’s hands. While US buyers can’t get their hands on Chinese EVs just yet, there’s no doubt the headline performance figures and low prices have caught people’s attention.
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China Proposes Stricter EV Safety Norms
The proposed regulation doesn’t ban performance outright. Instead, it mandates that cars must start in a neutered mode every single time you turn them on. If you want the full performance on offer, you’ll need to actively unlock it by selecting a different drive mode. The draft also requires electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to include pedal misapplication technology that restricts power when the car is stationary or crawling, complete with audio-visual warnings to prevent accidental launches. It’s essentially a mandatory nanny system for every EV on Chinese roads.
Beyond acceleration limits, the regulations propose automatic power cutoffs when vehicles experience sudden speed changes of 15 mph or more within 150 milliseconds, or when airbags deploy. Battery monitoring becomes mandatory, with systems required to detect thermal issues and alert occupants before things go wrong.
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Upcoming Regulations Highlight The Price of Progress
This acceleration proposal is just the latest in a series of electric vehicle reality checks. The draft also addresses flush door handle safety concerns, requiring mechanical release handles on all doors and automatic unlocking during emergencies. Then there’s the pedestrian detection problem, because silent EVs have proven dangerously stealthy.
What started as futuristic innovation has revealed practical flaws. Electric vehicles arrived too quietly, with touch-sensitive everything replacing tactile controls, and now with acceleration that outpaces most humans’ abilities. The future, as it turns out, needs some old-fashioned guardrails to keep it from crashing and burning, especially if these EVs are coming stateside.
