The strictest new national standard for batteries in history has officially been implemented: the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Xinhua News Agency visited ZENERGY to decode samples of aviation-grade batteries.

On July 1, 2026, the industry-referred "Strictest Ever" GB 38031-2025, also known as the "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles," was officially implemented. Compared to previous standards, the new national standard for the first time includes the mandatory requirement of "no fire, no explosion after thermal runaway," and further raises the threshold for extreme conditions testing such as puncture, crush, drop, overcharge, and overdischarge. It is not just a technical term update, but also signifies a new phase for China Shipbuilding Industry Group Power battery industry, transitioning from "scale expansion" to "safety baseline reshaping." Behind the elevated standard is the common requirement for high safety, high consistency, and high reliability manufacturing capabilities as the new energy vehicle industry enters deep waters. Low-end capacity, extensive manufacturing, and single-cost competition will be accelerated in their elimination, and only enterprises that truly possess the capability in materials, processes, equipment, testing, and data loop will have the opportunity to take the lead in the new standard cycle. At this juncture, the documentary series "China Manufacturing Surging East Lithium Casting New Quality," jointly produced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Xinhua News Agency, was officially launched. The camera does not focus on grand narratives, but delves into the state-of-the-art green factory of ZENERGY (03677), a company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, located in Changshu, Suzhou, documenting the complete birth process of an aerospace-grade battery from material synthesis, precision coating to AI quality inspection. National-level factory exploration: Why is ZENERGY recognized as an aerospace safety model? At the end of the documentary, a journalist holds a brand-new aerospace-grade battery and reflects, "With its small size, it witnesses the good momentum of breakthroughs in our country's strategic emerging industries." The weight of this statement falls precisely between the key terms "new national standard" and "aerospace-grade." On one hand, the new national standard sets a higher safety baseline for power batteries in vehicles; on the other hand, aerospace power batteries facing extreme scenarios like high-altitude operations, complex temperature differentials, high-frequency vibrations, rapid charging, and discharging demand far higher failure rates, stability, and consistency than ordinary vehicle-grade batteries. For battery companies, the ability to transfer aerospace-level safety concepts and manufacturing systems to vehicle-grade products is becoming a new competitive watershed. ZENERGY was not chosen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Xinhua News Agency by chance. Public information shows that the company is the first in the domestic power battery industry to obtain both the AS9100D aerospace quality management system certification and the airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This means that its research, production, testing, and quality management systems have extended from vehicle-grade logic to the stringent standards of aerospace. The factory exploration report in the national documentary series is an authoritative presentation and endorsement of this high safety manufacturing model before the new national standard is implemented. From meeting standards to aviation-grade reliability: Prepositioning safety redundancy in the entire manufacturing process If GB 38031-2025 defines the safety baseline for power batteries entering a new phase, then what ZENERGY emphasizes with aviation-grade manufacturing is the pursuit of higher levels of reliability redundancy. The company does not passively adapt to the standard after implementation but embeds high safety requirements in material selection, cell design, process control, online testing, and data traceability throughout the entire process. In the core coating process, the thickness of the aluminum foil for the positive electrode collector of the battery is only 10 to 12 microns, less than one-tenth of the diameter of a human hair, with tolerances controlled to around 2-3 microns. Behind the micro-level precision is the company's self-developed AI edge computing online monitoring system for real-time monitoring, intelligent feedback, and closed-loop control of key processes. The entire intelligent factory has over 8,000 core process control points, integrates non-destructive testing technologies such as industrial CT, X-Ray, and incorporates AI deep learning visual inspection into flexible production lines. Each offline cell has its own unique digital identity QR code, generating over 30 million data points per cell production process, covering information on raw material traceability, process parameters, quality testing, carbon footprint tracking, etc., enabling full traceability from production to application. Regarding the most concerning thermal safety issues under the new national standard, ZENERGY has not only completed all tests but has also introduced aerospace-level safety concepts to vehicle-grade batteries: the failure rate control of vehicle-grade cells approaches PPB level (one in a billion reliability), providing users with a more extensive safety margin. In other words, while the new national standard presents a threshold that must be crossed, what ZENERGY demonstrates is the ability to continue climbing higher after surpassing that threshold. Opening new scenarios for low-altitude economy: Aviation batteries validating and benefiting vehicle-scale production The importance of aviation-grade capabilities lies not only in responding to the higher safety requirements of the new national standard but also in the low-altitude economy opening up new growth scenarios for power batteries. In 2024, "low-altitude economy" was mentioned in the government work report for the first time, becoming a national strategic industry, with applications such as eVTOLs, electric fixed-wing aircraft, and drone logistics accelerating from conceptual validation to commercial deployment. Aerospace power batteries are not simply upgrades of vehicle-grade batteries. Aircraft place more complex constraints on the power system in terms of safety, stability, energy density, rate capability, and fast charging capability. The failure rate of cells must progress from the millionth range in vehicle-grade to the billionth range in aerospace-grade. Enterprises that can achieve stable delivery in this field have essentially undergone double verification of technology and manufacturing systems in more demanding application scenarios. In August 2025, ZENERGY's exclusive aerospace power battery system, supporting China's first two-seater electric fixed-wing aircraft RX1E, successfully obtained certification and completed the first batch of mass production deliveries, filling the industrial gap in domestically produced electric aviation power systems. Currently, the company has deep collaborations with entities along the industrial chain such as Liaoning Aviation Research Institute and Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry, forming a closed-loop iteration system of "technology verification - small-scale trial production - airworthiness certification." The depth of customer partnerships precisely validates the market recognition of the company's high-end manufacturing. ZENERGY continues to deepen ties with mainstream automakers such as LEAPMOTOR, GAC Toyota, SAIC-GM, and FAW Hongqi, integrating aerospace-level safety capabilities into mass production scenarios for vehicle-grade batteries. For example, with the GAC Toyota Boqi 7, the company successfully integrates aerospace-grade battery safety standards with Toyota's strict quality system, and the cell passed the full-center cut test with no fire or explosion after being completely cut along the center, and left standing for 24 hours. This application of aerospace technology in a different context not only establishes a clear differentiation safety label for ZENERGY in the new national standard cycle but also deepens core customer ties with perceptible product safety, further solidifying order stability. Performance and capacity realization: Translating high-end safety capabilities into growth certainty Ultimately, technological barriers need to business results. In 2025, ZENERGY achieved a revenue of 81.01 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 58%; net profit attributable to the parent company reached 8.09 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 788%, marking a shift from periodic losses to consistently profitable operations. Profitability has also improved, with an overall gross profit margin stabilized at 18.4%, a net profit margin exceeding 10%, and the expense ratio falling from 14.5% in 2021 to 6.33%, showcasing the continuous release of scale effects and lean management dividends. A research report released by HAITONG INT'L on May 9 suggests that the company currently has a capacity foundation of 35.5GWh and is advancing new capacity construction of 15GWh for power batteries and 20GWh for energy storage batteries, with an overall capacity expected to exceed 70GWh by the end of 2026 after full production. According to the documentary and public disclosures by the company, in the next two years, the company will add 85GWh of high-quality capacity through key projects such as the Galaxy Base, with a long-term total planned capacity reaching 120GWh, covering applications in power batteries, energy storage batteries, aerospace batteries, maritime batteries, and other "land-sea-air" scenarios. The energy storage business is also becoming a second growth curve. The total investment of 100 billion yuan in the 50GWh next-generation high-capacity long-duration energy storage smart manufacturing project has been contracted to land in Changshu High-tech Zone, focusing on the development and production of 588Ah ultra-large capacity energy storage cells, entering the high-demand long-duration energy storage track. With the addition of scenarios such as aerospace battery technology, AI data center backup batteries, maritime batteries, etc., ZENERGY is further elevating from a single power battery supplier to a provider of comprehensive energy solutions for all scenarios. Conclusion As the strictest-ever battery new national standard is on the horizon, discussions in the industry about safety benchmarks, manufacturing capabilities, and industrial consolidation are heating up. At this time, the joint exploration of ZENERGY by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Xinhua News Agency holds clear industrial significance. The power industry in China has bid farewell to "extensive expansion of quantity" and entered into a phase of "precise qualitative leap." The new national standard will accelerate industry survival of the fittest, drive resources towards enterprises that truly master core safety technologies, possess high consistency in manufacturing capabilities, and cross-verified capabilities across different scenarios. ZENERGY stands at the intersection of the four major tracks of power batteries, energy storage, aerospace batteries, and maritime batteries, bridging "land-sea-air" applications with a core technological system and is becoming a high-end battery sample worth attention in the new standard era.