Recently, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where it was introduced that in recent years, the automotive industry in China has been actively innovating and developing, with product iterations and updates happening quickly. The production capabilities and quality management levels of enterprises have also been continuously improving, and the functions and performance of Chinese brand cars have been continuously enhanced. However, some enterprises have also been seen rushing to launch new products without sufficient testing and verification. To further improve the safety technology performance of automotive products and ensure public safety and the safety of citizens' lives and property, the MIIT, together with the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, has recently compiled the "Notice on Further Improving the Innovation Design and Research and Development Testing of Automotive Products and Related Management Work" (Draft for Comments). It has been made public for public opinion solicitation, focusing on three aspects: Firstly, it added related technical parameters and held enterprises accountable. The notice clearly requires enterprises to report technical parameters related to innovations such as flush door handles, soft-close doors and virtual controls, as well as environmental adaptability, and incorporate these into the management of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's automotive product certification and production consistency. For products that do not meet the requirements for reporting or testing, they will not be certified, and the product safety gate will be firmly held. Secondly, it strengthened the safety assessment of automotive product innovations. The notice proposed four overall requirements and 21 specific requirements for pre-assessing safety risks for 20-plus innovative designs of automotive products, such as non-circular steering wheels and virtual controls. This is aimed at urging and guiding enterprises to conduct comprehensive assessments and validations of the safety of vehicle functions, driving safety, operability, and maintenance affordability. For example, soft-close doors must have anti-pinch functions, and the use of zero-gravity seats, rotating seats, reclining the seats into a bed, or pop-top cabins, while the vehicle is in motion is prohibited. This is to better ensure consumer safety. Thirdly, it fully conducted product research and development testing. The notice proposed six overall requirements and eight specific requirements for establishing a product research and development testing management system, elevating 22 recommended and industry standards to mandatory requirements. This is to urge and guide enterprises to conduct comprehensive reliability and durability tests in seven areas, including at least 30,000 kilometers of testing and a testing cycle of at least one year, which includes "two winters and one summer" tests. It also requires enterprises to conduct real-world tests and validations for power battery cycle life and durability, and they are not allowed to directly adopt supplier validation reports. Safety is the lifeline and core competitiveness of automotive enterprises. Any research and development activities must prioritize safety, and it is absolutely unacceptable to sacrifice safety for any reason. In the future, the MIIT will actively study and absorb various opinions, working together with relevant departments to accelerate the compilation and issuance of the notice, and accelerate the formulation and revision of relevant standards. It will also strengthen product production consistency supervision and inspections, as well as inspections of testing and inspection institutions. Through full-chain supervision from pre-certification to post-certification, it will resolutely prevent unreasonable innovations and products that have not been sufficiently tested and validated from entering the market. It will resolutely guard the safety bottom line for automotive products, and it will genuinely protect consumers' rights and interests, and promote the high-quality development of the automotive industry. (Autohome Qin Chao) (Autohome Qin Chao)