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How to use this wiki

What this wiki is — and is not

This wiki is a reference, not the standard. The authoritative document is GB 38031-2025 itself (China BATTERY STANDARD.pdf in the project root). When this wiki and the PDF disagree, the PDF wins.

The wiki:

  • Reproduces the standard's normative text verbatim where it matters (pass criteria, definitions, test parameters).
  • Cites every numerical value by clause number.
  • Adds engineering interpretation, but only inside > **Engineering note (non-normative):** blockquotes — never mixed into normative paragraphs.

The wiki does not:

  • Paraphrase loosely. If a clause says ≥ 100 Ω/V, the page says ≥ 100 Ω/V.
  • Soften "shall" requirements. The standard's modality is preserved in quotes.
  • Invent thresholds, exemptions, or vehicle categories.

Conventions

Convention What it means
> Quote text… Verbatim text from the standard. Treat as normative.
> **Engineering note (non-normative):** Editorial interpretation. Useful for context; not part of the standard.
Source: GB 38031-2025 clause X.Y.Z (PDF page N) Every numerical value in the wiki is traceable to a clause and PDF page.
(8.x.x.y) inline A clause reference inside prose.
⚠ verify A value that needs cross-check against the original PDF or 2020 edition before being relied on.
🆕 / ⭐ markers Used only in the cheatsheet — never elsewhere. 🆕 = new in 2025. ⭐ = headline-importance test.
Sentence case headings All headings are sentence case (matches the existing nav).

Page taxonomy

Section Purpose
Start here Scope, what's new, when it takes effect, conventions.
Pass / fail criteria Cross-cutting criteria explained once: fire, explosion, leakage, housing crack, insulation, the 5-min warning, observation periods.
All tests at a glance Single-page reference for all 24 tests. The build manifest.
docs/tests/cell-level/ Per-test pages for the 7 cell tests (8.1.x).
docs/tests/pack-system/{mechanical,environmental,electrical,thermal-stability}/ Per-test pages for the 17 pack/system tests (8.2.x).
docs/thermal-propagation/ Deep dive on the thermal propagation test (8.2.7.2 / Appendix C) — trigger methods, monitoring, reporting.
docs/migration/ 2020 → 2025 per-test migration notes.
docs/before-you-test/ Pre-test setup: standard charging, pre-treatment, instrumentation.
docs/type-approval/ Type-approval process notes.
docs/reference/ Glossary, normative references, formula cheatsheet.

Entry points by audience

Test campaign planner (test lab, OEM test team)

You need to set up fixtures, instruments, and a sequence. Start with:

  1. What this standard covers — confirm the standard applies to your product.
  2. Before you test — pre-treatment, instrumentation accuracy, environment.
  3. All tests at a glance — scan parameters, plan fixture sequencing.
  4. Per-test pages under docs/tests/ — full procedure, edge cases, reporting.

Type-approval analyst (regulator, certification body, NRTL)

You need to verify a manufacturer's compliance claim. Start with:

  1. What's new in 2025 — what's different from the report you reviewed under 2020.
  2. Pass / fail criteria — the recurring criteria explained once. Especially:
  3. The 5-minute warning (5.2.7 b) headline rule)
  4. Insulation resistance (the 100 / 500 Ω/V thresholds and Appendix B procedure)
  5. Leakage and housing crack (definitions and the 8.2.4 carve-out)
  6. docs/type-approval/ — same-type determination per Chapter 9.

Importer / OEM compliance lead assessing a Chinese-market product

You need to know what compliance under GB 38031-2025 entails and when it applies to your fleet. Start with:

  1. When it takes effect — your deadline.
  2. What's new in 2025 — gap analysis vs. the 2020 type approval.
  3. All tests at a glance — full test list with status flags.

Pack designer

You need to design to the criteria. Start with:

  1. Pass / fail criteria — the criteria you are designing against.
  2. The 5-minute warning — likely the hardest single requirement.
  3. Per-test pages relevant to your design margin (typically bottom impact, thermal propagation, vibration).

LLM / RAG use case

This wiki is structured for retrieval-augmented generation. Conventions that help an LLM:

  • Atomic pages. One concept per page. Cross-cutting facts (insulation thresholds, the 5-min warning) live in one page and are linked from others — no duplication. A retriever can return the canonical page without ambiguity.
  • Citations next to values. Every numerical value carries a Source: line with the clause and PDF page. An LLM can answer "what is the insulation threshold?" with ≥ 100 Ω/V (DC), ≥ 500 Ω/V (AC) per clause 5.2.x and not need to invent the citation.
  • Frontmatter last_verified. Each page has a last_verified: date in the frontmatter. Use it to gate stale answers.
  • Verbatim normative text. Pass criteria and definitions are quoted verbatim inside blockquotes. An LLM should prefer the blockquote text over surrounding prose when answering a compliance question.
  • Engineering notes are clearly marked. > **Engineering note (non-normative):** blocks are editorial. An LLM building a compliance answer should not present them as the standard's requirement.

When in doubt about an answer, the LLM should cite the clause and route the user to the per-test page or the cheatsheet.

Reporting issues

If a value in the wiki disagrees with the PDF, the PDF wins — file an issue and the wiki is corrected. The cheatsheet's ⚠ verify flags mark known cross-check items.

Cross-references