China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a draft notice for public comment on Oct. 10, prepared with the country’s public security, environmental and market-regulation authorities. It aims to prevent vehicles with unproven designs or insufficient testing from reaching buyers. The proposal responds to concerns about rapid development cycles and automakers relying on simulation or post-sale software updates in place of adequate vehicle testing; it is framed as a check on under-tested products, not innovation itself.
From Jan. 1, 2027, applications for new vehicles involving innovative designs or development testing would have to include a 51-item technical form. Applicants would need to provide relevant evidence of testing, and MIIT could withhold a vehicle’s listing in the official production catalogue if tests were inadequate, omitted or supported by falsified material. The proposed requirements put real-vehicle testing at the center: reliability trials would cover at least 30,000 km across several road types, while environmental validation would last at least one year and include two cold-weather phases and one hot-weather phase. New-energy vehicles would also need real-world battery cycle-life and durability tests.
The draft addresses specific design and safety issues. It would prohibit fully concealed door handles and require physical controls alongside touch or pressure-sensitive interfaces for certain safety-critical functions. It also calls for assessments of features such as powered doors, movable or reclining seats, large displays and vehicles capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in under five seconds. Carmakers would be responsible for checking safety-critical components themselves rather than simply accepting suppliers’ test reports.
The added validation could stretch development schedules, particularly for newer companies that rely on fast product cycles, and could also slow the introduction of driver-assistance and cabin features. The article notes that established automakers already commonly conduct seasonal durability testing. Under the proposal, problems found during validation would have to be fixed and retested before a vehicle could be submitted for market approval.