MIIT and three other ministries issued a draft notice on strengthening management of automotive product innovative design and R&D testing and verification. China Automobile Dealers Association expert Zhang Hong said the draft should curb some showy design elements in new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and re-emphasize safety. He added that a return to physical buttons will lower learning costs at test drives and shorten sales explanation time, but buying decisions will still depend on range, charging, p

2026-10-12

MIIT and three other ministries issued a draft notice on strengthening management of automotive product innovative design and R&D testing and verification. China Automobile Dealers Association expert Zhang Hong said the draft should curb some showy design elements in new-energy vehicles (NEVs) and re-emphasize safety. He added that a return to physical buttons will lower learning costs at test drives and shorten sales explanation time, but buying decisions will still depend on range, charging, price, after-sales service and overall reliability. Consumers are shifting preference from screen-driven 'tech' toward safety and ease of use.