Latest news with #GB21670-2025
Daily Tribune
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Tribune
China moves to curb one-pedal driving in EVs
In a major regulatory shift affecting electric vehicles, China has announced new national standards that will limit the use of one-pedal driving — a popular regenerative braking mode used by many EV drivers. Under the newly introduced GB 21670-2025 regulation, EVs sold in China from January 1, 2027, will no longer be allowed to default to a mode where simply lifting off the accelerator can bring the vehicle to a complete stop. This change directly targets one-pedal driving, a feature that allows cars to decelerate sharply using regenerative braking, often eliminating the need to touch the brake pedal in regular conditions. Regulators say the move is motivated by safety concerns. According to a report in a Chinese state newspaper, research indicates that drivers relying too heavily on regenerative braking may develop slower reaction times when sudden or full braking is required, such as in emergencies. The concern is that such habits could increase the risk of collisions when regen-braking alone is insufficient. While the one-pedal rule takes effect in 2027, other related changes will be implemented sooner: From 2026, Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) will be mandatory in all new electric vehicles. Also from 2026, brake lights must activate whenever regenerative braking decelerates a vehicle faster than 1.3 m/s². This addresses a common issue where drivers following behind EVs may not realize the vehicle is slowing sharply, as no brake lights illuminate during regenerative deceleration. One-pedal driving is a feature in many electric vehicles (EVs) that allows the driver to control both acceleration and deceleration using only the accelerator pedal. How it works: When you press the accelerator, the car moves forward like usual. But when you lift your foot off the pedal, the car doesn't just coast — it slows down aggressively using regenerative braking, a process that converts kinetic energy back into stored battery power. What is regenerative braking? Regenerative braking is a system where the electric motor runs in reverse during deceleration, acting like a generator. Instead of using traditional brake pads alone, this slows the vehicle down and recovers energy that would otherwise be lost as heat. Benefits of one-pedal driving: Energy efficiency: More energy is sent back to the battery. Less brake wear: Since the friction brakes are used less often. Ease in traffic: Great for stop-and-go driving — the car can come to a near or full stop just by lifting off the pedal. Smoother control: Some drivers find it more intuitive Limitations and concerns: It can take time to get used to, especially for drivers switching from petrol/diesel vehicles. In emergencies, drivers must still use the brake pedal — and studies (like the one behind China's regulation) suggest some may hesitate. It's not ideal for highway cruising or conditions needing very light deceleration.
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
China's Safety Crackdown: The End of Default One-Pedal EV Mode?
If you have ever driven an electric vehicle, such as one from Tesla or Rivian, or even models made by mainstream manufacturers like Nissan or Hyundai, you would probably have come face-to-face with a feature called one-pedal driving. On the surface, one-pedal driving sounds like a very convenient and frills-free way to drive. In electric vehicles and a selection of hybrid cars that feature it, the system utilizes its regenerative braking system to bring the vehicle to a stop when the driver comes off the accelerator, which can maximize electric range and potentially reduce brake pad wear. However, one of the largest EV markets is becoming much more strict about groundbreaking tech, as experts in the region raise red flags about its efficacy. According to a new report by the Chinese state-owned broadcaster CCTV News, the regulators at the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released some new regulations that will see some changes to the passenger cars sold in the country. Under the terms of GB 21670-2025, in the new edition of the "Technical Requirements and Test Methods for Passenger Car Braking Systems," regulators state that upon startup, "the vehicle cannot be slowed down to a stop by releasing the accelerator pedal, and the driver must use the brake pedal to stop the vehicle." To put it into plain English: one-pedal driving hasn't been entirely banned in China, but drivers must go through menus or toggle a switch to select it each time they drive, which regulators feel is much safer. The new regulation, which will come into effect in 2027, comes as many drivers in China, particularly older drivers, have been having a tough time with regenerative braking and one-pedal driving, which became the default setting in many Chinese-market EVs, particularly those made by Tesla. This effect caused some strange crashes labeled as "sudden unintended acceleration" (SUA), where drivers who thought they hit the brakes ended up stomping the throttle and causing some serious accidents. After a number of crashes, regulators ordered Tesla to recall its cars and update the driving system, switching the default braking mode from "Hold" to "Creep" to encourage drivers to use the brake pedal to keep the car still. However, regulators weren't completely happy with the fix and decided to change the rules. Last year, they announced this decision with a draft bill, and it's now been approved as part of the national standard. In addition to the new one-pedal rule, starting next year, new EVs sold in China must have brake lights that illuminate when deceleration caused by energy recovery exceeds 1.3 m/s². This addresses a common concern with drivers following behind EVs, who might not realize a car is slowing down without the conventional brake light cues. The new rules also indicate that anti-lock braking systems will become mandatory on new EVs in China starting in 2026, which is considerably later compared to the US (which mandated them in 2011) and the EU (which mandated them in 2004). The sophisticated tech that goes into EVs is cool and all, but as someone who is technically part of the social media-savvy and technologically adept Generation Z, regenerative braking and one-pedal driving are my least favorite features in today's EVs and hybrid vehicles. A string of videos about Uber passengers who get carsick in Teslas never fails to reach my 'for you' page on TikTok. Still, after watching many of them, it is easy to tell that their grievances lie with the regenerative braking system that Uber and other rideshare drivers somehow do not know how to use. "What the hell does Elon Musk put in his cars to make me feel so violently ill every single time I'm in one?" asked TikToker Gabe Escobar in an October 2024 video. "I don't get carsick or motion sick ever in my life; I've been on 12-hour car rides, and I've been totally fine. I've been on a shrimp boat for an entire day and did not get sick." I am not entirely against regenerative braking, but in my experience driving cars with this kind of feature, including hybrids like the Toyota Crown and EVs like the Tesla Model Y, Rivian R1S, or Genesis GV60, it takes a while to adjust to each car's re-gen "intensity." China is halfway there by regulating regenerative braking to be turned on in order to use it, but I think they should also mandate controls that adjust the level of "assistance" a driver gets. A seasoned fare-taking driver's ability to go from gas to brake is muscle memory, and they will need the ability to either make the assistance low or turn it off altogether. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
