China proposes stricter testing requirements for new vehicles

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has acknowledged that some automotive companies are rushing new products to market with insufficient testing. To address this, four Chinese ministries released a draft regulation on October 10, 2026, aimed at managing innovative design and testing during automotive research and development.

The draft, described by Chinese media as the strictest creative management document for the industry, introduces mandatory testing requirements. New products must complete reliability and durability tests covering at least 30,000 km. Additionally, environmental adaptation testing must last no less than one year and include two winters and one summer.

This regulatory move follows observations of an accelerated market pace. In the first five months of 2026, the Chinese market saw 542 new models, averaging 3.6 models per day. Industry figures suggest that while traditional internal combustion engine vehicles required over 36 months for development and testing, many new energy vehicles are being brought to market in as little as 18 months, often with shortened durability and environmental trials.