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.