(Yicai) Oct. 12 -- China has proposed stricter testing and validation requirements for vehicles with innovative designs to have a handle on automakers that carry out insufficient testing in a bid to release new products faster, raising safety and environmental risks.

From next year, carmakers applying for new vehicle model registrations need to submit 51 additional technical parameters and supporting validation materials on innovative designs, according to a draft released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the State Administration for Market Regulation on Oct. 10.

The new materials required from carmakers include real-world vehicle test results on reliability and durability, structural reliability, software functional reliability, environmental adaptability, heating and cooling, and protection and sealing. Environmental validation must follow a sequence covering two winters and one summer, using multiple test vehicles that cover key configurations.

Simulated or climate-chamber tests can replace real-world tests only if they are no less effective, as environments involving multiple interacting factors that cannot be equivalently simulated still require road tests. Automakers must inspect key hardware and software, such as driver-assistance, smart cockpit, and battery pack systems themselves, as they can no longer rely on suppliers' validation reports.

Car models with innovative designs already in the catalog must submit the required materials by July 1, the draft noted. If they are non-compliant or fail to submit the materials in time, they will be recalled and forced to halt production.

The draft also set requirements for specific innovative designs, including bans on fully hidden door handles, foldable or flexible displays, and zero-gravity or rotating seats while a vehicle is moving. Testing institutions that issue false reports could face fines or see their license revoked.

The Chinese automotive industry has recently been discussing “rushed new car models,” which People’s Daily described as new products automakers release quickly after shorter development cycles and cut real-world testing to gain market share. Li Fenggang, general manager of Beijing Hyundai, said at the 2026 China Auto Forum that some brands skipped tests to launch new models quickly, leaving consumers as "test drivers."

In July, the national auto standardization committee sought public comment on a draft proposing raising total reliability test mileage for three categories of new energy vehicles to at least 30,000 kilometers. In August, some government departments launched a one-year campaign targeting production consistency and quality of road motor vehicles.

The new draft will shift regulatory approval from just national standard compliance to also validation during development, said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association. The requirements of two winters and one summer of environmental validation, and 30,000 kilometers of reliability testing will prevent consumers from being treated as “real-world test subjects," he noted.

Editor: Futura Costaglione