Chery Rhino Warranty: a New Car After a Battery Fire, Lifetime Cover for Four Brands
A. Krivonosov
The lifetime cover includes the battery, motor and control unit, but only for the first, non-commercial owner — and it can lapse if human error is blamed for the fire.
Chery has picked the most painful argument in the EV debate: not range, not design, but the fear of a burning battery. In China the company has launched a lifetime warranty on the Rhino battery, electric motor and control unit, and if a fire is caused by the battery itself, it promises to replace the entire car.
The warranty covers Chery, Exeed, Jetour and iCar models fitted with the Rhino battery — and not just pure EVs. It also extends to plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and extended-range models (EREV), where the combustion engine works as a generator. Two other notable brands in the group, OMODA and JAECOO, are not on the announced list yet: this is specifically about the Chinese quartet of brands.
The reason behind the move is clear. Since July 1, 2026, China has enforced a new traction-battery safety standard, GB 38031-2025 — one of the strictest in the world. After thermal runaway the battery must not catch fire or explode for two hours, and smoke must not reach the cabin for at least five minutes after the alarm, giving occupants time to get out. Testing includes three strikes from a 30 mm steel ball carrying 150 J of energy and a check after 300 fast-charging cycles. Chery is effectively saying it trusts Rhino enough to shoulder the price of the whole car.
But a lifetime warranty is not eternal freedom from costs. It applies only to the first owner and only for non-commercial use — taxis and other commercial vehicles are excluded. The cover can be voided if human error is blamed for the fire. For the used market that is crucial: on resale the strong warranty argument vanishes, so a car's liquidity starts to depend not only on the badge but also on the legal fine print.
If a similar program reaches export markets, it will be a powerful card against Haval, Geely, BYD, Voyah and other brands selling hybrids and EVs. Still, buyers will have to read the small print: who decides the cause of a fire and how, and whether the warranty survives a crash, a repair, off-spec charging or service outside the official dealer.
