China's New Bearing Standards for NEV Drive Motors — Drafted by ZYS: Technical Highlights

JB/T 15046-2025: China's New NEV Drive Motor Bearing Standard — Drafted primarily by ZYS

On 9 May 2025, a new industry standard entitled ‘Rolling Bearings – NEV Drive Motor Bearing’ was published. The standard was submitted by the National Technical Committee for Standardization on Rolling Bearing and is administered by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China. The principal drafting organisation for this standard is Luoyang Bearing Research Institute Co.,Ltd. (ZYS). This article examines the core technical requirements of the standard and their significance for the industry.

Why a Dedicated Standard for NEV Drive Motor Bearings?

The new standard, designated JB/T 15046-2025 and formally titled ‘Rolling Bearings – NEV Drive Motor Bearing’, establishes technical specifications specifically for high-performance ball bearings used in drive motors for new energy vehicles. The standard specifies product model naming conventions, structural design forms, dimensional parameters and performance requirements, and establishes comprehensive quality control measures covering the entire process, including testing methods, inspection procedures, marking management, anti-corrosion packaging, and transport and storage.

This standard applies to high-speed ball bearings with a dm•n value of ≥70,000 mm·r/min. This parameter requirement reflects the stringent standards for new energy vehicle motor bearings in terms of high rotational speed, long service life and stable operation, and helps to enhance the reliability and energy efficiency of the vehicle’s powertrain system.

Key Technical Requirements of JB/T 15046-2025

Materials and Heat Treatment

The standard specifies material requirements for each bearing component, with particular attention to thermal stability and electrical properties.

Rings：Rings must be manufactured using high-grade or premium high-carbon chromium bearing steel conforming to GB/T 18254-2016. A high-temperature tempering process at no less than 200°C is required — a critical specification for NEV applications where bearings operate at elevated temperatures continuously. Heat treatment quality shall comply with GB/T 34891-2017. Carbonitriding heat treatment is also permitted, following JB/T 7363-2023.

Rolling Elements：Rolling elements must use the same high-grade bearing steel specified above, with heat treatment per GB/T 34891-2017. Alternatively, silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramic material is permitted, complying with GB/T 308.2-2010.

Cage：The cage must be manufactured from glass fiber reinforced polyamide 46 (PA46-GF30) per JB/T 7048-2011.

Sealing：A critical performance requirement: seals must function normally across the -40°C to +150°C temperature range.

This article provides only a brief overview; for further technical requirements regarding bearing materials and heat treatment, please refer to the original text of the standard.

Testing methods and rules

Measurement Methods

Performance Validation Tests

This article provides only a brief overview; for further details on testing methods and technical requirements regarding the rules, please refer to the original text of the standard.

Common dimensions of drive motor bearings

Our Role as the Primary Drafter — Why It Matters to You

Our company served as the primary drafting unit of JB/T 15046-2025.

What this means:

• Our product design and testing methods have been pre-validated against the standard;
• Our equipment fully complies with, or even exceeds, the requirements of the standard;
• We can provide standard compliance testing services.
• You're not just buying equipment — you're getting insights from the team who wrote the standard.

For Bearing Manufacturers

• We can help you upgrade your testing capabilities.
• Our testing equipment helps our clients’ products achieve compliance quickly.

For NEV Drive Motor Manufacturers

• We can help you verify whether the bearings you have purchased comply with industry standards.
• We can provide technical support from a third-party perspective.

Ensuring Compliance: Recommended Test Instruments

Whether in the Chinese or global market, bearing manufacturers and motor producers require a specific set of testing instruments to comply with industry standards. Below is a table showing the correspondence between the relevant clauses and the required equipment.

All instruments listed above have been verified to meet the test accuracy requirements specified in JB/T 15046-2025. As the primary drafter of the standard, our equipment has been used during the standard‘s validation process — ensuring full traceability and method alignment.

Conclusion & Next Steps

As the lead drafter of China’s bearing industry standards, our company offers capabilities that no other test instrument supplier can match:

• Equipment pre-validated against the standard‘s requirements
• Direct technical insights from the standard’s authors
• Compliance verification services aligned with the standard‘s test methods

We also offer compliance testing services and technical consultancy, contact our technical team today → info@zys.com.cn