China seeks comment on five mandatory car standards, incl. data security, ADS lights

On 20 October the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) opened public consultation on five mandatory national standards, including Requirements for Automotive Data Security (《汽车数据安全要求》). CLS, Yicai and 36Kr carried short notices of the consultation between 09:26 and 09:31 local time that day. Jiemian says the consultation was run by MIIT's Department of Equipment Industry I. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]

Jiemian reports that the draft adds requirements for marker lights of automated driving systems (ADS). It sets blue-green as their dedicated colour and bans installing ADS marker lights on vehicles without an L3 or higher automated driving system. It also restricts gesture and voice control and sets specific requirements for automatic parking and radio functions. [ 4 ]

MIIT said at the same time that safety is the lifeline and core competitiveness of carmakers, that all research and development must put safety first and must never come at the expense of safety. It said it will use full-chain supervision, covering access before market entry and inspection during and after, to keep unreasonable innovative designs and insufficiently tested products out of the market. Jiemian added that the World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference runs from 21 to 23 October in Beijing. [ 4 ]

Huxiu describes a document titled Requirements for the Installation of External Lighting and Light-Signalling Devices on Automobiles and Trailers (draft for comment), which it says brings ADS marker lights into the mandatory national standard system for the first time. Under it, L3 and higher vehicles should optionally fit front, rear and side ADS lights. The lights switch on automatically when the system is active, cannot be turned on or off by hand, and go out when the system exits. ADS lights may not integrate a luminous logo, gestures may not be used to operate lamps, and voice may not be used to switch them off. Huxiu says the standard is planned to take effect on 1 January 2028, with a transition period of up to 48 months for some clauses on technical requirements such as headlamp dimming devices. [ 5 ]

Huxiu adds that for four years the so-called little blue light had no unified rules and carmakers acted on their own. It says Li L9 (理想L9) became the first mass-produced model in China with the feature in August 2022. The current standard GB 4785-2019 allows only white, red, yellow and amber for civilian vehicles' external lights. According to Huxiu, MIIT began taking applications for its 410th batch of new vehicle announcements on 27 July 2026, and newly certified passenger cars are barred from carrying an external blue driver-assistance light. [ 5 ]

Huxiu quotes Wang Ning (王宁) of Tongji University as saying the industry is moving from encouraging early technical exploration to agreeing rules first for functions on public roads. It says Geely, Changan, Voyah (岚图) and Avatr (阿维塔) have said they will follow the rules strictly. Yu Xiaoming (于晓明) of Jufeng Investment Advisory (巨丰投顾) is quoted as saying the new national standard will unify entry rules and raise the technical bar. [ 5 ]