The original recommended standard has been upgraded to a mandatory standard.
The electric motorcycle lithium battery market is facing a new mandatory safety threshold.
On October 16, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced the approval and release of the "Safety Requirements for Lithium-ion Batteries Used in Electric Motorcycles and Electric Mopeds" (GB 36672-2026), which will be implemented on July 1, 2027.
The new national standard upgrades the original recommended standard to a mandatory one, optimizes safety assessments at three levels: battery cell, battery pack, and battery system, and adds test items such as heating after low-temperature cycling, crushing, thermal propagation, and flame retardancy, further strengthening the safety requirements for electric motorcycle lithium batteries under complex operating conditions.
Multiple leading lithium battery enterprises have been deeply involved in this standard revision. The standard compilation instructions previously released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show that Ampace, along with the Shanghai Motor Vehicle Inspection and Certification Technology Research Center, China Automotive Technology and Research Center, and Aima Technology, are listed as the main drafting units. In addition, enterprises such as Phylion Battery, BYD, Guoxuan High-Tech, EVE Energy, and Boliwei have also entered the final list of drafting units. Electric motorcycles are becoming a new market contested by power battery enterprises.
In 2026, the Chinese electric two-wheeler market showed a clear divergence. According to statistics from the China Motorcycle Chamber of Commerce, from January to August, China's electric motorcycle sales reached 2.5662 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.1%; during the same period, the overall domestic electric two-wheeler market remained in an adjustment period.
Data from Aowei Yunwang shows that in the first three quarters, domestic electric two-wheeler sales reached 48.378 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 4.8%.
This change has already transmitted to the upstream battery industry.
Some leading battery enterprises have already seen significant growth. For instance, Ampace's high-end electric motorcycle supporting customers continued to expand in 2026, including brands such as Ninebot, Niu Technologies, Wuyang Honda, and Surron; Phylion Battery disclosed that in the first half of 2026, its electric motorcycle lithium battery shipments surged by 230% year-on-year, with growth driven by both domestic and international markets.
Meanwhile, power battery enterprises such as BYD, CALB, EVE Energy, and Ganfeng Lithium Battery are further expanding the electric motorcycle market; solid-state battery enterprises such as Talent New Energy, Enpower, and GF Energy have also begun to target high-end electric motorcycles as the commercial application direction for new battery technologies.
From automotive-grade LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) to large-capacity batteries, and from semi-solid-state and solid-liquid hybrid batteries to high-voltage platforms, the technological competition in the electric motorcycle battery market has significantly heated up this year.
Electric motorcycles are absorbing part of the new demand in the electric two-wheeler industry, also providing new growth opportunities for lithium battery enterprises. The implementation of the mandatory new national standard will further change the safety threshold and competition rules in this market.
Electric Motorcycles Grow Against the Trend, Lithium Battery Adoption Accelerates
In 2026, the Chinese electric two-wheeler market is undergoing an adjustment driven jointly by regulation, consumer demand, and product structure.
Previously, the newly revised "Safety Technical Specification for Electric Bicycles" was implemented on September 1, 2025, and starting from December 1 of the same year, models meeting the old standards completely exited the sales market.
The new national standard has raised requirements in areas such as vehicle flame retardancy, anti-tampering, and safety configurations, prompting complete vehicle enterprises to adjust product designs and also increasing the production costs of some models.
Coupled with the early release of the trade-in demand for over 12.5 million electric bicycles in 2025, domestic electric two-wheeler sales in the first half of 2026 decreased by 12.6% year-on-year.
The market began to recover in the third quarter, with sales increasing by 9% year-on-year, but the cumulative decline for the year has not yet been reversed.
Just as the market showed signs of recovery, regulation has further tightened.
In early October, the 3C certification certificates for a large number of domestic electric bicycle products were suspended due to supervisory inspections. Caixin reported that some models on sale in certain stores could not be properly registered and licensed, significantly impacting terminal sales, with the scope covering numerous leading brands.
In contrast, electric motorcycles, which are managed as motor vehicles and are not directly affected by the switch to the new national standard for electric bicycles, have become an important direction for some complete vehicle enterprises to strive for growth.
Yadi's electric scooter sales reached 3.484 million units in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 63.7%, while electric bicycle sales decreased by 37.8% year-on-year.
Luyuan's electric motorcycle sales reached 402,000 units in the same period, a year-on-year increase of 78.2%, ranking first in the domestic electric motorcycle market according to statistics from the China Motorcycle Chamber of Commerce.
Luyuan's overall revenue in the same period still decreased by 20.4% year-on-year, and the growth in its electric motorcycle business is partially offsetting the pressure brought by the adjustment in the traditional market. Sina Finance
New force enterprises are also accelerating the launch of mid-to-high-end electric motorcycle products. Brands such as Ninebot, Niu Technologies, and Jihe continue to enhance product competitiveness through intelligence, long range, and performance upgrades.
Electric motorcycles have greater design space in terms of product performance. Compared to electric bicycles, which are strictly constrained by requirements such as maximum design speed and overall vehicle mass, electric motorcycles can be equipped with higher-power motors, higher-voltage platforms, and larger-capacity batteries.
This also provides more application opportunities for lithium batteries.
In January this year, Phylion Battery launched the Polaris battery cells and the FAR Ranger series batteries specifically for the electric motorcycle market, positioning the 74V50Ah product as the mainstream capacity solution for high-end electric motorcycles, and further introducing the 74V100Ah large-capacity product.
In March, Niu Technologies released high-end electric motorcycles such as the NX2 Master and NX Marathon, adopting the lithium battery system jointly developed with Phylion Battery.
Phylion Battery subsequently disclosed that its electric motorcycle lithium battery shipments in the first half of the year increased by 230% year-on-year, becoming an important factor driving its business growth.
This growth rate is far higher than the increase in the domestic electric motorcycle complete vehicle market during the same period. Although the enterprise's shipment growth is also affected by factors such as overseas demand and increased customer share, it already indicates that leading battery suppliers are gaining new business increments.
The electrification of electric motorcycles overseas is also expanding the market.
Vietnam's VinFast disclosed that in the first half of 2026, the company delivered 429,200 electric scooters and electric bicycles, a year-on-year increase of 275%.
The electrification of fuel motorcycles in India, Southeast Asia, and some African countries also provides incremental space for Chinese battery enterprises.
Boliwei's light vehicle lithium battery revenue reached CNY 931 million in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 49.66%. The company disclosed that the battery products supplied to Vietnam's VinFast achieved mass production and shipment in July, while products for the African battery swapping operator Spiro began delivery in the first quarter and formed batch supply in the first half of the year.
Domestic consumption upgrading and the electrification of fuel motorcycles overseas are forming two different paths of demand growth.
However, between the growth in electric motorcycle sales and the increase in lithium battery penetration rate, there still exists an important price threshold.
Currently, lead-acid batteries still occupy an important position in the entry-level market for domestic electric motorcycles.
In August this year, Jihe launched the all-new AE6 series electric motorcycles. Among them, the AE6 Pro priced at CNY 7,999 is equipped with a 72V32Ah lead-acid battery, while the AE6 Max priced at CNY 12,999 adopts two sets of 72V30Ah lithium batteries; the higher-configured AE6 Ultra further adopts a 76V100Ah large-capacity lithium battery.
Within the same series of models, lead-acid and lithium batteries correspond to different price and performance requirements, respectively.
Relying on lower initial procurement costs, mature after-sales channels, and recycling systems, lead-acid batteries continue to maintain their competitiveness in the mass commuting market.
Lithium batteries, on the other hand, are gradually expanding into long-range, high-performance, and high-frequency operation scenarios by virtue of higher energy density, lighter weight, longer cycle life, and high-power output capability.
This is also the reason why electric motorcycle battery products have begun to show clear differentiation this year.
For ordinary commuting users, battery price remains an important purchasing factor; for long-distance riding and food delivery users, battery life, range stability, charging efficiency, and failure rate are affecting their long-term usage costs.
In July this year, BYD officially launched the "Lithium Battery 2.0" strategy for light vehicle batteries, releasing three major series of batteries: U-Yue, Riding Fortress S, and Riding Fortress Ultra.
Among them, the Riding Fortress S 76V60Ah version has a rated capacity of 4.608kWh, and is publicly priced at CNY 4,999 on Jingdong's self-operated channels, mainly targeting the high-power electric motorcycle and long-range riding market.
BYD emphasizes that it adopts a new generation of LFP battery cells and an automotive-grade BMS (Battery Management System), with a cycle life of over 3,500 times, and possesses IPX7 waterproof capability.
The significance of this product release lies in the fact that large automotive power battery manufacturers are further extending their cell technology, safety management, and brand capabilities to the two-wheeler market.
The pricing of CNY 4,999 also prompts the market to re-examine the value of high-end electric motorcycle batteries.
Calculated according to the nominal capacity, the terminal retail price of this battery is about CNY 1.08/Wh. For general household commuting vehicles, this is still a considerable expense; but for high-frequency delivery and long-distance riding users, the battery replacement cycle, failure losses, and range performance may be more important than the one-time procurement price.
On the other end, the capacity of electric motorcycle batteries is also continuously pushing higher.
At the Chongqing Motor Expo in September this year, Ampace officially released the 76120 large cell battery, with a capacity of 9.12kWh and an operating range of over 250 kilometers. Recently, Jinyu Qingdong announced the upcoming launch of the 72125 V2.0 large-capacity electric motorcycle battery.
According to its public product information, the new product has a nominal capacity of 72V125Ah, an energy storage of about 9kWh, and the overall pack weight is controlled within 49kg. It claims a range of over 280 kilometers and sets a target of maintaining a state of health above 80% after 1,500 cycles.
The previous 72126 version has already entered the real-vehicle testing scenarios for Jihe AE4SE+ users, while the new version further optimizes the box structure and installation space. However, user testing and official designated supporting by complete vehicle manufacturers still need to be distinguished.
From BYD's 4.6kWh battery to Jinyu's 9kWh-class product, electric motorcycle lithium batteries have expanded from traditional commuting needs to the long-range, high-power, and high-performance markets.
This change has also attracted more automotive power battery manufacturers to participate in the competition.
At the Chongqing Motor Expo in September this year, EVE Energy showcased high-specific-energy cylindrical batteries for high-performance off-road electric motorcycles; Ampace launched a 9.12kWh large-capacity battery solution, as well as off-road cells supporting high-rate discharge; enterprises such as CALB and Guoxuan High-Tech also further displayed light power products.
High-specific-energy, high-rate, and battery safety technologies, originally concentrated in the automotive power battery market, have begun to expand into the two-wheeler field.
As more suppliers enter, the competition for electric motorcycle batteries has also extended from traditional capacity, price, and channels to product safety, performance, service life, and system integration capabilities.
Solid-State Batteries Enter the Market Collectively, Safety Threshold Further Raised
Compared to the expansion of mature lithium battery enterprises, a more noteworthy change in the electric motorcycle market this year is that a group of solid-state battery enterprises have begun to enter collectively.
In the power battery industry, solid-state batteries have long regarded NEVs (New Energy Vehicles) as an important target market. However, automotive-grade solid-state batteries still face challenges such as manufacturing costs, cycle life, engineering validation, and scaled production.
High-end electric motorcycles provide a relatively flexible early application scenario for some new types of batteries.
These models have a smaller battery capacity per vehicle, and some consumers are willing to pay a premium for higher energy density, lightweight design, and range capability. Complete vehicle manufacturers also have the motivation to form product differentiation through new types of batteries.
In March this year, Yadi, in conjunction with Talent New Energy, launched the Guannan Starship II-200L high-end electric motorcycle, equipped with a 72V109Ah semi-solid-state battery and a nominal capacity of about 7.85kWh.
The vehicle has a maximum speed of 110 kilometers per hour, and the official announced range is about 112 kilometers, with the battery supporting 5C high-rate discharge.
This is a representative case of semi-solid-state batteries entering specific electric motorcycle complete vehicle products. However, after the public release of the model, its actual sales, installation scale, and long-term usage data still require continuous validation.
Subsequently, more solid-state battery enterprises have listed electric motorcycles as an important target market.
On July 30, Enpower's 2GWh advanced battery PACK base located in Wuxi was officially put into production. This is its first advanced power battery PACK manufacturing base, with a planned capacity of 2GWh in the first phase, targeting high-end electric motorcycles as the core market, while also covering application fields such as low-altitude aircraft and humanoid robots.
Enpower previously already possessed semi-solid-state cell manufacturing capabilities. The construction of this new PACK base means that it is beginning to further complete the manufacturing chain from cells to system integration.
GF Energy is also promoting the industrialization of semi-solid-state batteries. In May this year, the company disclosed that it has formed 370Wh/kg-class high-specific-energy semi-solid-state battery products and is promoting the batch shipment of high-power batteries. Among them, the high-power products possess 6C charging and 12C discharging capabilities.
However, the batch deliveries already disclosed by GF Energy mainly involve specific high-power applications, and the specific electric motorcycle customers and installation scale still need further confirmation. The aforementioned Jinyu Qingdong 72125 product cannot be directly attributed to GF Energy's semi-solid-state business without proof of the entity and technical route.
At the Chongqing Motor Expo in September, Ganfeng Lithium Battery launched a 73V45Ah semi-solid-state battery, explicitly targeting high-end high-speed electric motorcycles and long-range scenarios; Zhongxing Paineng showcased a solid-liquid hybrid ternary cell with an energy density reaching 350Wh/kg, targeting high-power applications for high-end electric motorcycles.
Traditional light power enterprises have also begun to cut into the new system.
Phylion Battery launched the "332" project at the Motor Expo, deploying products around high voltage above 300V, range above 300 kilometers, and 20-minute fast charging.
Among them, the 320V27Ah and 74V135Ah products adopt solid-liquid hybrid battery technology, further improving the voltage platform, energy capacity, and charge-discharge performance of electric motorcycles.
Up to now, the electric motorcycle battery market has seen competition across multiple technical routes, from mature LFP and ternary lithium to semi-solid-state and solid-liquid hybrid.
However, the rapid increase in the number of product releases does not mean that the relevant technologies have fully entered scaled application.
Especially for solid-state batteries, their advantages such as high energy density, safety, and cycle life still need to be validated through real riding conditions and long-term usage data.
Compared to passenger cars, although high-performance electric motorcycles have a smaller battery capacity, they also face complex safety challenges.
Rapid acceleration, high-rate discharge, frequent charging, bumpy vibrations, as well as operating conditions such as high temperature, low temperature, and water wading, will all affect the long-term reliability of the battery.
As the battery energy capacity continues to increase, once internal short circuits, connection failures, or thermal runaway occur, the structural design and thermal protection capabilities of the battery pack also become more important.
Semi-solid-state batteries can improve some safety performance through material and electrolyte system improvements, but they can still experience internal short circuits, thermal runaway, and other failures.
This is also the critical significance of this mandatory new national standard for electric motorcycle lithium batteries.
According to information disclosed by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the new standard, on the basis of the original requirements, adds test items such as heating after low-temperature cycling, crushing, handle strength, thermal propagation, flame retardancy, and markings, further raising the battery safety performance requirements.
Among them, heating after low-temperature cycling focuses on examining the safety risks of the battery after experiencing operating conditions such as low-temperature charging; the thermal propagation test focuses on whether the battery pack has corresponding safety protection capabilities after a single cell experiences thermal runaway.
For high-specific-energy and solid-liquid hybrid batteries, cell technology innovation needs to be advanced synchronously with system safety design.
Some leading enterprises have already carried out relevant validation in advance.
In February this year, Phylion Battery announced that its Polaris cells and FAR Ranger batteries have passed the safety tests conducted by a third-party testing institution based on the draft for comments of the mandatory new national standard for electric motorcycle lithium batteries.
According to its disclosure, the enterprise upgraded the battery module structure, grouping process, and BMS protection solutions for the new standard, focusing on addressing thermal propagation and complex operating condition safety requirements.
Besides the cells themselves, the BMS (Battery Management System) is becoming another competitive link worthy of attention.
In the traditional two-wheeler market, some battery management functions mainly focus on overcharge, over-discharge, overcurrent, and temperature protection. As electric motorcycles develop towards large capacity, high rate, and high voltage, the battery system needs to monitor cell status more accurately, manage charge and discharge power, and take protective measures in a timely manner when faults occur.
Especially in high-frequency delivery and battery swapping scenarios, the battery also needs to coordinate with charging equipment, battery swapping cabinets, and operation platforms to realize battery state of health assessment, fault warning, and remote management.
Currently, electric motorcycle BMS is mainly jointly developed by battery PACK enterprises, professional BMS suppliers, and some complete vehicle manufacturers. There are differences in the technical division of labor among different suppliers, and the complete vehicle intelligent control system cannot be directly equated with the battery BMS.
This year, BYD emphasized automotive-grade BMS and real-time safety monitoring capabilities in its Riding Fortress series products; Phylion Battery further upgraded battery module and BMS safety protection; Boliwei disclosed in its 2026 semi-annual report that it is promoting a domestic chip BMS platform project with a planned total investment of CNY 20 million, targeting the global light electric motorcycle and battery swapping market.
Boliwei is also researching and developing technologies such as high-voltage off-road electric motorcycle batteries and thermal propagation protection for light power batteries, attempting to form a complete system solution integrating cells, structural design, and battery management capabilities.
This change means that in the future, the product value supplied by battery enterprises to complete vehicle manufacturers will increasingly include battery pack structure, BMS, safety validation, and system integration capabilities.
In September this year, the national standardization competent authority also issued the formulation plan for the "General Technical Specification for Power Batteries Used in Electric Motorcycles and Electric Mopeds" and related standards for battery swapping lithium-ion batteries, and the technical specification system for electric motorcycle power batteries is being further improved.
From a market perspective, the electric motorcycle lithium battery competition in 2026 has already shown obvious changes.
Traditional light power enterprises are expanding their market share relying on customer supporting, manufacturing, and channel accumulation; comprehensive power battery manufacturers such as BYD and EVE Energy are introducing automotive power battery technology into the two-wheeler market; semi-solid-state and solid-liquid hybrid battery enterprises are attempting to establish new technological advantages through high specific energy, high rate, and safety performance.
As competitors continue to increase, electric motorcycles are also becoming a new market to validate the commercialization capabilities of different power battery technologies.
The mandatory new national standard implemented on July 1, 2027, will add a unified safety assessment threshold to this competition.
For lithium battery and solid-state battery enterprises that accelerated their entry into the electric motorcycle market this year, product performance is only the starting point of competition. Only those who can take the lead in transforming technological advantages into the ability to pass safety validation, stably support complete vehicles, and achieve scaled delivery will have the opportunity to truly share the market growth of electric motorcycle lithium battery adoption.