China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has proposed tighter safety and validation rules for new vehicle technologies, including features increasingly seen in Chinese cars, particularly electric models. The draft focuses on large displays, zero-gravity and swivel seats, and exterior lighting systems that can project personalized messages. It remains a proposal, not an approved regulation.
Under the plan, folding and flexible screens would be prohibited, and certain display systems would face more demanding safety tests. Essential functions would also need to remain operable through physical controls, reducing reliance on touchscreens for tasks requiring a quick driver response. The proposal would restrict zero-gravity or swivel seats and layouts that turn seats into beds while the vehicle is moving, citing occupant protection in emergency braking or a collision. Projected messages from exterior lights would face additional controls because they could distract other road users.
The draft calls for more technical documentation and reliability testing before new technologies reach the market. Proposed tests include at least a year of environmental adaptation covering two winters and one summer, plus at least 30,000 kilometers of reliability validation. Applications for approval of new models would need fuller documentation from January 1, 2027; makers of already-approved vehicles would have to submit information on innovative designs from July 1, 2027. Public consultation runs through November 10, 2026. The changes could lead manufacturers to revise designs, bring back conventional buttons and extend development work, but the document says the measures are still under consideration.