China is moving to outlaw the default use of strong regenerative braking that lets drivers control an electric car almost entirely with the accelerator, a feature widely known as one-pedal driving. Regulators are recasting it as a safety risk rather than a convenience, and they are rewriting national standards so that future electric vehicles behave more like traditional cars when drivers lift off the throttle. The shift will ripple through the global auto industry, because any company that wants access to the world’s largest car market will have to rethink how its EVs slow down.
At the heart of the change is a simple idea: braking should be predictable, visible to other road users, and clearly separated from acceleration. Chinese authorities argue that one-pedal setups blur those lines, contributing to crashes and confusing both drivers and people around them. I see the move as a revealing test of how far regulators are willing to go to tame fast-changing EV technology in the name of safety.
What one-pedal driving actually does
One-pedal driving uses the electric motor as a generator to slow the car as soon as the driver eases off the accelerator, often with enough force to bring the vehicle to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal. In many popular EVs, lifting off the throttle in the most aggressive mode can deliver deceleration comparable to moderate braking, which is why some owners say they barely use the friction brakes in city traffic. The appeal is obvious: less footwork, smoother control in stop and go conditions, and a sense that the car is harvesting every bit of energy it can.
Technically, this is just a very assertive form of regenerative braking, but the way it is tuned matters. Strong regen shifts a big part of the braking job from the hydraulic system to software that controls the motor, and it changes how the car feels when a driver coasts. Reporting on why regulators are uneasy notes that one-pedal setups can deliver the strongest possible braking action as soon as the accelerator is released, which is a very different behavior from a conventional automatic that simply rolls when you lift your foot. That gap between expectation and reality is exactly where safety officials see trouble, and it is central to the new rules described in detailed analyses of why China is banning one-pedal driving.
How China’s new standard rewrites EV braking
China is not just issuing a warning, it is rewriting the technical rulebook for how new cars are approved. A new national standard for passenger vehicles will make it illegal to drive electric cars in a pure one-pedal mode from 2027, and it will start reshaping how EVs are configured for sale in the country from 2026. The key change is that regenerative braking will no longer be allowed to function as a stand alone primary braking method in normal driving, which means drivers will have to use the brake pedal for meaningful deceleration instead of relying on lift off behavior.
According to detailed breakdowns of the regulation, the standard will require that when a driver releases the accelerator, the car cannot automatically apply very strong braking that mimics a hard press on the pedal. Instead, coasting will feel closer to a traditional combustion car, with regen either reduced or blended in a way that still demands a clear brake input for serious slowing. One report on how driving EVs in one-pedal mode will be illegal from 2027 explains that regulators in China want to end the practice of selling cars where the most aggressive regenerative setting is the default, and they are pushing manufacturers to redesign EVs in China from 2026 to comply with the new passenger car standard described in that regulatory summary.
Mandatory ABS and the safety logic behind the crackdown
The same rulemaking that targets one-pedal driving also tightens basic hardware requirements, which shows how regulators are thinking about the whole braking system, not just software. Key highlights of the new standard include mandatory ABS installation, with language stating that all newly approved passenger vehicles will be required to have anti lock braking systems. Bundling a ban on aggressive one pedal modes with a requirement for ABS underlines the message that every car sold in the country should have both predictable deceleration behavior and modern safeguards against wheel lockup.
Safety officials argue that when drivers rely heavily on regenerative braking, they may not press the brake pedal as early or as firmly as they should in an emergency, which can increase the likelihood of rear end collisions if the car behind is not expecting such rapid slowing without brake lights or clear cues. The new standard is framed as a way to reduce that risk by making sure the brake pedal remains the primary way to slow the car and by ensuring that when it is used, ABS is there to keep the vehicle stable. A widely shared discussion of the policy’s key highlights notes that this combination of mandatory ABS and limits on one pedal behavior is meant to cut the likelihood of rear end collisions, a point spelled out in a breakdown of the new auto standard.
Regulators link one-pedal driving to crashes
Chinese regulators are not just theorizing about risk, they are explicitly linking one-pedal setups to real world crashes. Officials have pointed to incidents where drivers reported sudden unintended acceleration, or SUA, only for investigators to find that the car’s logs showed normal power delivery and heavy use of regenerative braking instead of the friction brakes. In these cases, safety experts argue that drivers who thought they were coasting may have been caught out by how aggressively the car slowed or surged, especially if they were unfamiliar with the strongest regen settings.
Commentary on the safety crackdown describes how this effect has produced strange crashes labeled as SUA, where drivers who thought the car was misbehaving were actually struggling to adapt to the way one pedal modes blend acceleration and deceleration. Regulators now claim that relying too much on regenerative braking can confuse drivers and lead to collisions, particularly in tight urban traffic where small misjudgments in speed and distance have serious consequences. A widely circulated explainer on how China bans single pedal driving notes that regulators claim it causes crashes because depending on regenerative braking can confuse drivers, a concern echoed in a deeper look at how SUA incidents raised red flags about its efficacy in China’s safety crackdown and in a video titled China BANS Single Pedal Driving that highlights how regulators claim it causes crashes.
Why officials say safety trumps convenience
From the regulators’ perspective, the reasoning is blunt: safety comes first, even if that means dialing back a feature that many EV fans love. Chinese authorities are concerned that one-pedal driving can make it harder for some drivers to judge stopping distances, especially when they switch between different cars or modes that all behave differently when they lift off the accelerator. They also worry about how other road users interpret a car that slows sharply without the clear signal of a brake pedal being pressed, which can affect everything from following distances to how pedestrians read traffic.
Analysts who have reviewed the rulemaking say the government is effectively choosing a more conservative, standardized driving experience over the more experimental feel that some EV brands have embraced. The message to manufacturers is that they can still use regenerative braking, but they must design it so that the brake pedal remains the obvious and consistent way to slow the car in everyday driving. One detailed report on why China wants one-pedal driving to be banned states that the reasoning is simple, safety, and that Chinese authorities are concerned that drivers may not adjust quickly enough to aggressive regen, a point spelled out in a breakdown of why China wants one-pedal driving banned.
What changes for drivers and carmakers in practice
For drivers, the most immediate change will be how new EVs feel when they lift off the accelerator. Starting in 2027, China’s rules will mean that cars sold there can no longer offer a default mode where simply easing off the throttle brings the vehicle to a full stop in normal traffic, and some reports say that one-pedal driving itself will be illegal in everyday use. Instead, drivers will have to use the brake pedal more often, and regenerative braking will be tuned to feel more like gentle engine braking in a combustion car, with stronger deceleration reserved for when the pedal is pressed.
For manufacturers, the implications are broader. Most companies now allow drivers to choose between several levels of regenerative braking, from light coasting to very strong one pedal behavior, and they will have to redesign those options for the Chinese market so that the most aggressive settings are either removed or heavily limited. Analysts expect this shift to influence international markets, because global platforms are expensive to customize and carmakers may decide to harmonize their braking strategies worldwide rather than maintain separate software for one country. A detailed report on how China will ban a popular electric vehicle feature starting 2026 notes that most manufacturers now allow drivers to choose regen levels and that this regulatory shift will influence international markets, a point laid out in coverage of how China will ban a popular EV feature.
How China’s move fits into a wider EV safety debate
China’s decision does not exist in a vacuum, it lands in the middle of a broader debate about how much control EVs should give drivers over braking behavior. In some markets, regulators and safety advocates have already raised questions about whether aggressive regen should trigger brake lights, how it affects following distances, and whether older drivers or those new to EVs adapt easily. Whenever sudden acceleration incidents occur, investigators now routinely look at pedal inputs and regen logs to see whether drivers who struggle to adapt to one-pedal modes may have misinterpreted what the car was doing.
That scrutiny is starting to spread. Commentators in the United States, for example, are already asking whether their own regulators should follow China’s lead and restrict or standardize one-pedal behavior, especially as EV adoption accelerates. Some argue that the feature is safe when properly designed and explained, while others say the mix of different regen settings across brands is a recipe for confusion. A widely read analysis framed the question directly, asking whether the U.S. should follow China’s example and noting that whenever sudden acceleration incidents occur, investigators often find drivers who struggle to adapt to one-pedal driving, a concern explored in a piece titled China May Ban One-Pedal Driving, Should the U.S. Follow.
The global tech and design response
Automakers are already experimenting with ways to keep the efficiency benefits of regenerative braking without the behavioral quirks that worry regulators. One approach is to make regen strong but invisible to the driver, blending it seamlessly with the friction brakes when the pedal is pressed, rather than tying it to the accelerator position. High end models like the Porsche Taycan have gone down this route, using sophisticated software to harvest as much energy as possible whenever the driver brakes, while keeping lift off behavior relatively mild so the car feels more conventional when coasting.
China’s new rules are likely to accelerate this trend, pushing more brands to adopt brake pedal based regen strategies and to treat one-pedal behavior as a niche or track only feature, if they keep it at all. That could reshape how EVs feel worldwide, especially if companies decide that a single, globally compliant setup is cheaper and easier to explain to customers. A detailed technology analysis notes that this direction lines up with what Porsche has done with its impressive regenerative braking technology on the Taycan, which is invoked as an example of how strong regen can be delivered without relying on one-pedal modes in coverage of why China is banning one-pedal driving, and it sits alongside broader reporting on how China puts the brakes on EVs’ one-pedal driving.
Will other countries follow China’s lead?
Whether other regulators copy China’s approach will depend on how they balance safety data, consumer preference, and industrial strategy. Some markets may decide that clear labeling, driver education, and standardized brake light rules are enough to manage the risks, especially where EV penetration is still relatively low. Others may see an opportunity to align with China’s standard so that global manufacturers can sell the same hardware and software everywhere, reducing costs and simplifying compliance.
Among EV owners and enthusiasts, the reaction is already mixed. Discussions in online communities show that while many drivers love one-pedal driving for its ease and efficiency, they also recognize that not everyone adapts quickly and that regulators in China are not fans of the feature. One thread notes that one-pedal driving is being looked at in China as a possible safety hazard and asks whether this skepticism will bleed over to other countries, capturing the uncertainty about how far the crackdown will spread in a conversation about how China is not a fan of one-pedal driving.
China’s EV rulebook as a global reference point
China’s move against one-pedal driving is part of a broader pattern in which the country uses its huge domestic market to set de facto global standards. By tightening rules on EV braking, mandating ABS, and reshaping how regenerative systems are allowed to behave, regulators are signaling that they want electric cars to feel more predictable and familiar to the average driver. That stance will matter not just for local brands, but for every foreign automaker that wants to keep selling into a market that has become central to the global EV business.
As the world’s largest car market, China has the leverage to push its preferences into the design of vehicles sold far beyond its borders, and its decisions on safety features often become reference points for other regulators. The new braking rules sit alongside a wider effort to regulate advanced driver assistance and other EV specific technologies, reinforcing the idea that innovation will be allowed, but only within a framework that prioritizes clear, conventional driver inputs. For anyone trying to understand where EV design is heading, it is hard to ignore how China is using its regulatory power, a point underscored by technical write ups on how Safety China Regulates One-Pedal Driving and Makes ABS Mandatory and by consumer focused explainers on how one-pedal driving could soon be banned and what that means for drivers starting in 2027 in China’s new rules.
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