China’s automotive industry is set to see significant changes in product development and design following a joint announcement from four key government departments. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, have jointly released a draft for public comment titled “Notice on Further Strengthening Management of Automotive Product Innovation Design and R&D Testing and Verification.” This initiative aims to establish clearer boundaries for vehicle safety, focusing on rigorous testing protocols and restrictions on certain innovative but potentially unsafe design features.
Key Focus Areas for Enhanced Auto Safety
The new regulations target three primary areas to ensure a higher standard of automotive product safety:
1. R&D Testing and Verification Requirements
A major component of the new rules involves stringent testing cycles and mileage mandates. New vehicle models seeking approval must undergo comprehensive testing for overall reliability and durability, structural reliability, and software functional reliability. Crucially, environmental adaptability verification must span at least one year, explicitly including tests conducted during ‘two winters and one summer.’ Furthermore, reliability verification tests will require a minimum mileage of 30,000 kilometers.
2. Innovation Design and Access Red Lines
The document outlines a “red line” list of prohibited design features. Automakers will be barred from equipping vehicles with fully hidden door handles. The use of foldable or flexible screens is also forbidden. During driving, functions such as “zero gravity” seats, rotating seats, or seats that convert into beds will be prohibited. Essential safety-related controls, including those for emergency escape and braking, must retain physical controls with clear, prominent markings.
3. Access Management and Enforcement
Clear timelines and enforcement measures are established. Starting January 1, 2027, products that have not undergone adequate testing and verification or have submitted fraudulent materials will not be approved. Vehicles that have already received approval will be required to submit supplementary materials by July 1, 2027. Those failing to comply or found to have safety hazards will face production halts and mandatory recalls.
Broader Context: A Year of Heightened Automotive Safety Scrutiny
This is not the first regulatory action concerning vehicle safety in China this year. Several standards and regulatory measures have been introduced, covering various stages of a vehicle’s lifecycle from design to use:
- Door Handle Regulations: A mandatory national standard, GB 48001—2026, approved in January, addresses safety concerns with hidden door handles, especially during power failures or collisions. It mandates that the mechanical release function of door handles must work even without power, and internal handles must have clear safety markings. The recent draft reinforces the ban on fully hidden handles.
- Assisted Driving Standards: In June, the first mandatory national standard for assisted driving systems, GB 47955—2026, was released. It sets safety baselines for L2-level assisted driving functions, covering aspects like human-machine interaction and driver monitoring, and will be implemented from January 1, 2027.
- High-Level Autonomous Driving: China’s first mandatory national standards for L3 and L4 autonomous driving systems, GB 44721—2026, were published in July, with an implementation date of July 1, 2027.
- ‘Little Blue Light’ Restrictions: Since late July, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has tightened its review of vehicle product declarations. New passenger vehicles will not be permitted to have the ‘little blue light’ for assisted driving as a factory configuration, as blue is not compliant with current external lighting color standards. Existing vehicles with this feature are not subject to mandatory removal for now.
- Production Consistency Checks: Nationwide inspections are being conducted to address issues in production consistency, reliability, durability, and the testing of new technologies. These checks aim to prevent discrepancies between vehicles submitted for testing and those produced, and to ensure thorough risk assessments for innovative designs, new materials, and structures.
The drafted regulations are designed to curb unreasonable innovative designs and improve the R&D testing and verification management system, thereby strengthening corporate responsibility for product safety. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) has expressed full support for these measures, issuing an industry-wide initiative to comprehensively enhance the safety level of Chinese automotive products. CAAM acknowledges that while the rapid electrification and intelligence transformation of China’s auto industry are driving fast product innovation, some designs prioritize novelty over safety, and insufficient R&D testing can pose risks to product safety, market reputation, and the industry’s high-quality development.
