China strengthens supervision of smart vehicles for healthier industrial development

Meng Fanzhe

People’s Daily

La Jornada Newspaper
Thursday, October 30, 2025, p. 11

Recently, China released a draft notice on strengthening recalls, production consistency supervision and advertising regulations for smart connected new energy vehicles (NEVs). The draft makes clear that when providing information about automation levels and system capabilities, companies should not misrepresent or exaggerate features in a way that confuses consumers.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, automatic lane change, and valet parking, have become standard features, especially on NEVs. While these advances demonstrate technological innovation and open new opportunities for growth, the claims of marketing Some manufacturers have exaggerated the system’s capabilities. This risks creating dangerous misconceptions, such as the belief that drivers can let go of the steering wheel or disengage it completely during assisted driving operations.

Stricter regulation not only drives companies to improve the quality of their products, but also reminds drivers to approach assisted driving with the right mindset, thereby reducing the risk of accidents. Innovation has no limits, but safety remains the lifeline of the automotive industry.

From introducing a new national standard for electric vehicle batteries, requiring them to be “non-flammable and non-explosive”, to developing technical standards for vehicle door handles and banning companies from using remote updates to hide defects, China has implemented a series of forceful measures to strengthen the “safety valve” and fasten the “seat belt” for industry development.

For companies, the only way to earn trust and support in a competitive market is to prioritize security throughout the chain, from research and development to commercialization, ensuring that technological progress truly serves and benefits people.

As smart driving technologies advance, some fear that strict regulation could curb innovation. However, the real question is not whether regulation is “too strict”, but how to regulate according to the law, so that safety and innovation are kept in the same balance.

Take Beijing’s regulation on autonomous vehicles, for example. This regulation encourages the use of these vehicles for personal transportation, while establishing security requirements for operations, networks and data. Today, Beijing’s high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone has been expanded from 60 to 600 square kilometers, with licenses issued for more than a thousand vehicles and cumulative test mileage exceeding 38 million kilometers.

Intelligent driving is key for the automotive industry, but technological maturity depends on extensive, long-term testing and training. Local practices across China demonstrate that by applying reform-oriented approaches, rule of law, and pilot methods, regulators can guide research institutions and enterprises to balance short-term profits with long-term development, and innovation with safety, thus fostering a dynamic and well-regulated next-generation electric vehicle sector.

Security is the basis of development, and development, in turn, guarantees security. This principle applies not only to automobiles, but to all industries: innovation should never stray from the path of safety.

As smart vehicles make their way onto the roads, regulatory frameworks must keep pace. As artificial intelligence becomes integrated into everyday life, governance standards must evolve. As biomedicine ventures into uncharted territories, ethical and legal boundaries must remain firm. Jumping on the technology express train is exciting, but only by strengthening consciousness and the capacity for safe development can humans reach a future full of unlimited possibilities.