China mulls limiting 0-100 km/h to more than 5 seconds by default to improve safety, prevent crashes

Speed kills, as they say, and China is stepping in to curb the ever-quickening acceleration its cars are capable of. The country’s ministry of public security has drafted new national safety standards that propose to restrict a car’s zero-to-100 km/h time to no less than five seconds by default, per CarNewsChina.

The move is in response to an increasing number of crashes on the Middle Kingdom’s roads, as cars – particularly electric vehicles with their instant torque – get quicker and quicker. China is now capable of a sub-two-second century sprint with the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra (1.98 seconds), and with the forthcoming Yangwang U9 Xtreme producing an astonishing 3,000 PS, it has the potential to reach 100 km/h in even less time.

Now, we should point out that, as the report notes, this does not mean that cars from here on out will have their acceleration handicapped. For one, the draft regulations are still undergoing a public consultation process and have not yet been passed into law. Secondly, the rules only state that a car would not be allowed a sub-five-second zero-to-100 km/h time in its default configuration, meaning that users would still be able to uncork its full performance by going into the settings.

Of course, a car that takes five seconds to get from zero to 100 km/h is still plenty quick – quicker than a BMW 330i (5.8 seconds), a Honda Civic Type R (5.5 seconds) or a Toyota GR Yaris (5.2 seconds). Plus, an EV’s lightning-fast throttle response means it will feel much more rapid than the bald figures would suggest.

China mulls limiting 0-100 km/h to more than 5 seconds by default to improve safety, prevent crashes

The proposed regulations also demands that EVs and plug-in hybrids cut off their power circuits if they experience a 25 km/h or more change in speed or if the airbags are deployed (i.e. a crash). They would also need to come with battery monitoring functions, provide early warning of any abnormal conditions (i.e. a thermal runaway) and be equipped with battery pressure relief and balancing devices to prevent fires.

Driver assists is another area that has received significant attention. If the rules enter into law, vehicles with highly-automated driving functionality will need the user to either use biometric recognition or sign in to verify if they have completed proper training to use the system. Cars with only Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, on the other hand, will need to constantly monitor if a driver’s hands are on the steering wheel and if they are looking at the road ahead.

China has recently taken a proactive stance to prevent any deaths or injuries from crashes, reining in new vehicle technologies. In September, the government issued draft laws that would regulate the design and markings of electronic door handles amid a spate of fatalities resulting from occupants being trapped in crashed or burning cars.

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