Recently, the United Nations released a major update to its international transport rules for battery-powered vehicles. By adding dedicated UN numbers, refining risk classifications, and optimizing special clauses, the update ends the “one-size-fits-all” management model of the old rules, providing more precise safety guarantees for the global circulation of new energy vehicles.
Under the current International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code), hybrid vehicles, lithium-ion/sodium-ion battery vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles are all classified under UN item 3171. This broad management approach has led to convergent transport requirements for high-risk lithium metal batteries and low-ignition-temperature sodium-ion batteries, increasing the difficulty of port inspections and creating potential safety hazards.
Four new exclusive categories have been added: UN3166 (hybrid electric vehicles), UN3556 (lithium-ion battery vehicles), UN3557 (lithium metal battery vehicles), and UN3558 (sodium-ion battery vehicles), achieving full coverage of technological routes. Industry experts point out that the new regulations will trigger three major changes: On the logistics side, shipping companies will need to upgrade their dangerous goods declaration systems and equip them with intelligent battery type identification technology; on the manufacturing side, automakers must strengthen supply chain traceability management, and sodium battery manufacturers must optimize short-circuit protection designs to meet exemption conditions; on the standards side, it will promote the establishment of a global “technology roadmap” for new energy vehicles, accelerating the integration of photovoltaics, energy storage, and transportation into a zero-carbon ecosystem.
With the new regulations taking effect on January 1, 2025, battery-powered vehicles will bid farewell to their “ambiguous identity” and usher in a new era of precise management based on technological characteristics. This transformation not only improves maritime safety but also provides a systemic opportunity for China’s new energy vehicle industry to seize the global market.
Post time: Dec-15-2025