Overview
- A multi-agency draft published for public consultation would ban fully hidden door handles and foldable or flexible center screens while requiring physical emergency and driving-critical controls.
- The proposal sets defined tests of at least 30,000 kilometers for reliability and at least one year of environmental adaptation trials to confirm new designs work in real conditions.
- The draft, which sets January 1, 2027 for new-model technical submissions and July 1, 2027 for supplementary verification of already approved innovative models, requires manufacturers to deliver technical parameters and verification materials by those dates.
- If required declarations or verification materials are missing after the deadlines and a vehicle poses safety risks, the rule would force immediate production stops and mandate that firms register and carry out recalls with the State Administration for Market Regulation.
- The move follows a SAMR quality campaign and a record recall of more than 7 million vehicles that included over 5.7 million Teslas and reflects regulators’ push to slow fast-moving design trends until they are fully tested, a change that could reshape how domestic and foreign automakers bring new features to China.