China’s draft GB 18613 revision adds inverter fed motors and updates fan motor testing. OEM buyers can use this checklist to prepare model and test evidence.
Scope, test points and model evidence for China’s draft motor efficiency standard Information checked 26 October 2026
Decision summary and standard stage
National standard revision plan 20262560 Q 469 would replace GB 18613 2020 with a revised mandatory standard on minimum allowable motor efficiency and efficiency grades. The consultation notice was published on 20 July 2026 and public comments closed on 18 September 2026. On 26 October 2026, the official project page still showed the consultation stage, and no final standard or publication date was found.
The explanatory note recommends implementation twelve months after publication. That is a drafting recommendation, not a confirmed effective date. Manufacturers and buyers can identify test and data gaps now, but labels, certificates and contract declarations must be based on the final standard.
Motors in the draft scope
The draft brings four product groups into one mandatory efficiency framework and gives each a defined voltage, power, speed and test boundary.
|
Product group |
Draft scope |
Purchasing focus |
|---|---|---|
|
Line operated three phase induction motors |
Below 1000 V, 50 Hz, 120 W to 1000 kW, 2, 4, 6 or 8 poles, single speed, totally enclosed fan cooled, N design and continuous duty |
Power, pole count, cooling method, design and general purpose or general purpose explosion proof use |
|
Low voltage inverter fed three phase induction motors |
Below 1000 V, inverter supply, 600 r min to 6000 r min, 120 W to 1000 kW, IC416 and continuous duty |
Motor and inverter boundary, rated torque, rated speed, 90 percent speed test point and parameter version |
|
Single phase induction motors |
690 V and below at 50 Hz, including capacitor start from 120 W to 3700 W, capacitor run from 120 W to 2200 W and two value capacitor from 250 W to 3700 W |
Capacitor type, rated power, test method and nameplate data |
|
Air conditioner fan motors |
Capacitor run and brushless DC motors from 10 W to 1100 W |
Highest nameplate speed, separability of the drive, speed band and test boundary |
Scope must be checked condition by condition. The same marketing name can cover different cooling methods, duty types, drive boundaries or intended uses.
Main technical changes in the draft
New efficiency table for inverter fed motors
GB 18613 2020 does not contain a mandatory efficiency grade table for low voltage inverter fed three phase induction motors. The draft adds Table 2 across four rated speed bands and powers from 120 W to 1000 kW. The proposed assessment point is rated torque at 90 percent of rated speed, using the direct input output method in Clause 6.2 of GB T 32877 2022.
An RFQ therefore needs to fix the motor, inverter, rated torque, rated speed, controller parameters and test point. One rated power efficiency value is not enough to review the proposed inverter motor requirement.
Updated test and tolerance references
Line operated three phase induction motors would be measured at rated power using Method B in GB T 1032 2023. Inverter fed motors would use GB T 32877 2022. Single phase and air conditioner fan motors would use the direct method identified in GB T 5171.21. The draft also updates the efficiency tolerance reference to GB T 755 2025 and the relevant product standards.
A report should identify the standard edition, method, measurement boundary, instruments, ambient conditions and uncertainty. A laboratory must decide whether an older report remains usable under the final standard.
More data for brushless DC air conditioner fan motors
The draft adds speed points for brushless DC air conditioner fan motors. The explanatory note also states that when the drive circuit cannot be separated from the motor, efficiency is assessed for the combined unit. Buyers should freeze the drive board version, control parameters, supply condition and highest nameplate speed in the sample and bill of materials.
Three efficiency grades remain
The draft retains three grades, with Grade 1 as the highest and Grade 3 as the proposed minimum. The explanatory note describes the line operated three phase motor grades as coordinated with IE5, IE4 and IE3 levels. For inverter fed motors, the correct draft table depends on power and rated speed, so an IE code on a nameplate should not be converted directly into a China grade.
OEM test evidence checklist
1. Create a model list and classify each motor as line operated three phase, inverter fed three phase, single phase or air conditioner fan motor.
2. Record rated voltage, frequency, power, pole count or speed, cooling method, duty and intended use for every model.
3. For an inverter fed motor, freeze the inverter, control mode, switching frequency, rated torque, rated speed and the 90 percent speed point.
4. For a brushless DC fan motor, freeze the drive board and software version and state whether the drive can be separated from the motor.
5. Ask the laboratory to compare existing reports with GB T 1032 2023, GB T 32877 2022, GB T 755 2025 and GB T 5171.21.
6. Establish one to one traceability across the bill of materials, sample, nameplate, report and sales model.
7. Reserve time for design verification, samples, corrective work, certification and label updates during the proposed twelve month transition, without inventing a publication date.
8. After publication, recheck final scope, tables, interpolation rules, tolerances, implementation date and surveillance requirements.
How a buyer can review a supplier report
|
Report field |
Review question |
Common risk |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard and method |
Does the report use the final applicable edition and correct method |
An old report is presented as proof of a new requirement |
|
Sample identity |
Do model, bill of materials, nameplate and production version match |
A related model is substituted without equivalence evidence |
|
Inverter configuration |
Are the inverter, parameters and test point recorded |
Only a favourable efficiency number is reported and cannot be reproduced |
|
Power and speed |
Are the correct proposed table and speed band used |
Wrong table or interpolation |
|
Measurement boundary |
Is the drive circuit included when required |
Motor and drive input boundaries differ |
|
Change control |
Do winding, rotor, magnetic material, bearing or drive changes trigger review |
Production no longer matches the tested sample |
Longwell evidence boundary
For a specific project, ask Longwell to confirm the candidate fan motor supply, control method, rated duty, drive boundary, performance curve and available test records. Only evidence tied to a model, bill of materials and test condition belongs in the customer compliance file.
This guide does not claim that an unverified model meets a draft grade, and a motor efficiency result does not prove compliance of a fan, AHU or air conditioner as a complete product.
Frequently asked purchasing questions
Is the draft mandatory now
No. The public comment period has closed, but no final standard or publication date was found. Companies can prepare against the draft but should not state final compliance.
Has the proposed twelve month transition started
No. Twelve months is a recommendation in the explanatory note. The start can be known only after the standard is published with an implementation date.
Does an IE3 nameplate directly prove China Grade 3
No. The explanatory note describes coordination between systems, but a determination still requires the final scope, efficiency table, test method and measured result.
Must every GB 18613 2020 report be repeated
Not necessarily. Ask the laboratory for a version and product change gap review. New inverter motor requirements, revised test methods or a changed sample configuration may require additional or repeated testing.
Send motor data for an evidence review
Send the destination market, fan or equipment use, rated voltage, frequency, power, pole count or speed, rated torque, duty point, ambient temperature, controller or inverter model, certification target and intended standard edition to sales@longwellfans.com. Longwell will confirm the performance and test records available for the exact model and bill of materials.
Official sources
- China mandatory standard consultation notice
- Motor efficiency revision plan 20262560 Q 469
- Current GB 18613-2020 official standard page
Information checked 26 October 2026
