New rules prohibit EVs from defaulting to a one-pedal mode capable of bringing a car to a stop simply by lifting off the gas
July 13, 2025 at 12:40
- China has announced new rules that affect the brakes in electric cars.
- Electric vehicles are not allowed to default to a one-pedal driving mode.
- Experts think reliance on regenerative braking makes drivers less safe.
If you’ve driven an EV you’ll have an opinion on regenerative braking. Some drivers prefer next to none, saying they plan ahead and think allowing the car to sail on when you lift off the gas is better for efficiency. Others love one-pedal mode, where the regen effect is so strong you barely need to touch the brakes at all, but new rules announced in China suggest regulators there aren’t one-pedal fans.
Related: Volvo Warns 12,000 Owners To Halt One Pedal Driving Immediately
A new national standard for passenger cars has just been introduced in China and it has implications for EV drivers who love to do all of their going and slowing using just their right foot. Under the terms of GB 21670-2025, drivers must not be able to set their EVs to a default mode that can bring a car to a complete stop simply by lifting off the gas pedal, though it seems the function isn’t being outlawed altogether.
Safety Concerns Take Priority Over Efficiency
The legislation has nothing to do with improving the driving range of the nation’s EVs, and is more focused on improving safety, according to a report from China’s The Paper. You might reasonably think that one-pedal mode is safer because it cuts out the delay between lifting your foot off the throttle and placing it on the brake pedal.
However, studies have shown that drivers can become so reliant on the regenerative braking effect delivered when lifting off that they develop a delayed reaction in applying the brake pedal in emergency situations when more braking force is needed than the regen alone can provide.
New Rules on Brake Lights and ABS
The laws governing one-pedal mode don’t come into force until January 1, 2027, but some other changes announced as part of the same safety standard become compulsory 12 months earlier, including one that might raise eyebrows.
From next year, new EVs brake lights must illuminate when deceleration caused by energy recovery exceeds 1.3 m/s². This addresses a common concern among drivers following behind EVs, who might not realize a car is slowing significantly without conventional brake light cues.
Also joining the list of must-haves: anti-lock braking systems, which will become mandatory on new EVs in China from 2026. That’s relatively late compared to other markets, as ABS became compulsory in the US in 2011 and in the EU back in 2004.
