China Revises Five Automotive Standards for 2028 Implementation

China Opens Five Draft Automotive Standards for Public Comment

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced on October 20 that its Department of Equipment Industry I had organized the formulation and revision of five mandatory national standards covering vehicle data security, exterior lighting, radio broadcast reception, and intelligent and connected vehicle safety. The five draft standards have been opened for public comment, with submissions due by December 19, 2026. The proposals address several areas of vehicle design and operation, including automated parking systems and parking combined driving assistance. They also include revisions to existing requirements for exterior lighting and light-signaling devices. The consultation gives stakeholders an opportunity to review the proposed provisions before the standards proceed toward implementation.

Five Mandatory National Standards Under Review

The consultation covers five standards: Automotive Data Security Requirements; Requirements for Installation of the External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices for Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers; In-Vehicle Radio Broadcast Receiving Systems; Intelligent and Connected Vehicle — Safety Requirements for Parking Combined Driving Assistance System; and Intelligent and Connected Vehicle — Safety Requirements for Automated Parking System. Together, these documents address data protection, vehicle lighting and signaling, in-vehicle broadcast reception, and safety requirements for intelligent parking functions. The package includes both the formulation of standards and revisions to existing requirements. The published consultation deadline is December 19, 2026, making that date the key deadline for interested parties to submit comments on the drafts.

Revised Vehicle Lighting Standard Reflects Technology Changes

The draft titled Requirements for Installation of the External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices for Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers is being revised to account for technological developments in automotive lighting products in China and overseas during the six years since the current standard took effect. The stated objective is to improve the standard’s applicability as lighting technologies evolve. The proposed revision also introduces terminology associated with automated driving, including “ADS” and “ADS function.” By incorporating these definitions and additional provisions, the draft connects established vehicle lighting requirements with features associated with automated driving systems. The proposals remain draft requirements during the public consultation period, and the announced implementation schedule is conditional on the standard taking effect as proposed.

Proposed Rules for Lamp Functions and Vehicle Signals

The revised draft explicitly states that lamp functions must not display text, except for the illuminated emblem function. It also specifies that turn signal lamps and reversing lamps must not be combined with stop lamps or rear fog lamps. These provisions define restrictions on how exterior lighting functions may be presented and combined on vehicles. The draft further introduces a dedicated blue-green light color requirement for ADS marker lamps, adding a specific color provision for lighting associated with automated driving. Together, the proposed changes cover the display of information through lamps, the combination of different signaling functions, and the identification of ADS-related marker lamps. Their final requirements will depend on the standard’s adoption and implementation.

Manual Controls and Voice-Activated Vehicle Lamps

The draft includes provisions prohibiting gesture-based operation and voice-command deactivation of specified vehicle lamps. It also addresses lamps that can be activated through voice commands: vehicles must indicate the location of the corresponding manual switches. These requirements distinguish between permitted voice activation and prohibited methods of operating or deactivating the specified lighting functions. The manual-switch location provision also establishes an explicit requirement for communicating where drivers can find the relevant physical controls. The source announcement does not identify every lamp function covered by these provisions, so the precise scope should be confirmed against the complete draft standard. The proposals are part of the broader revision intended to keep exterior lighting requirements applicable as vehicle technologies change.

Proposed Effective Date and Type-Approval Transition Periods

The revised exterior lighting standard is proposed to take effect on January 1, 2028. Its requirements would not all begin applying to every vehicle model at the same time. For models newly applying for type approval, the ADS marker lamp requirements would apply from the standard’s effective date, while the other provisions would apply from the seventh month after implementation. For models that have already obtained type approval, the other provisions would apply from the 37th month after the standard takes effect. These timelines distinguish new type-approval applications from models approved under the existing framework, providing separate transition periods for different categories of vehicle models.

Additional Transition Rules for Headlamp Leveling Requirements

Separate transition periods are proposed for certain provisions concerning technical requirements for headlamp leveling devices and other related technical requirements. For vehicle models newly applying for type approval, these provisions would apply from the 25th month after the standard takes effect. For models that have already obtained type approval, they would apply from the 49th month after the effective date. These timelines are distinct from the general implementation periods for the other lighting provisions and the immediate application proposed for ADS marker lamp requirements on new type-approval applications. Manufacturers and other affected stakeholders will need to assess the relevant category of each vehicle model and the specific provision when determining the applicable transition period.

Key Dates for China’s Proposed Automotive Lighting Rules

Implications for Manufacturers and Vehicle Developers

The proposed changes cover multiple vehicle-development responsibilities, from data security and in-vehicle radio reception to exterior lighting and intelligent parking safety. For manufacturers developing vehicles for the Chinese market, the revised lighting provisions could require reviews of lamp design, signaling functions, ADS marker lamp colors, and the placement or identification of manual controls for voice-activated lamps. The staggered transition periods also make vehicle type-approval status important when planning compliance work. Because the five documents are still drafts open for public comment, stakeholders should distinguish the proposed requirements from final obligations and review the applicable draft text before making definitive design or approval decisions. The consultation deadline provides the immediate milestone for submitting feedback.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The five draft standards signal continued attention by Chinese regulators to vehicle data security, lighting functions, and the safety of intelligent driving and parking technologies. For automakers and suppliers, the proposed blue-green ADS marker lamp requirement, restrictions on lamp combinations, and rules for manual controls could influence product design and validation for vehicles intended for the Chinese market. The separate transition periods may also affect how manufacturers prioritize engineering changes across new type-approval applications and previously approved models. The next key steps are the close of public consultation on December 19, 2026, and the proposed January 1, 2028, effective date for the revised exterior lighting standard. Final obligations should be assessed against the adopted standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which five automotive standards has China opened for public comment?
China has opened five draft mandatory national standards covering automotive data security, exterior lighting, in-vehicle radio reception, and intelligent and connected vehicle parking safety. Their titles are Automotive Data Security Requirements; Requirements for Installation of the External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices for Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers; In-Vehicle Radio Broadcast Receiving Systems; Intelligent and Connected Vehicle — Safety Requirements for Parking Combined Driving Assistance System; and Intelligent and Connected Vehicle — Safety Requirements for Automated Parking System. The drafts are open for public comment until December 19, 2026.

When is the public comment deadline for the five draft standards?
The deadline for submitting comments on the five draft mandatory national standards is December 19, 2026, following their announcement by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on October 20. The consultation covers proposed requirements and revisions in several areas of vehicle technology, including data security, lighting and signaling, radio reception, and intelligent parking safety. The announced date is the deadline for public feedback, not the effective date of every standard. The revised exterior lighting standard has a separate proposed effective date of January 1, 2028.

What changes are proposed for exterior vehicle lighting?
The revised draft would prohibit lamp functions from displaying text, except for the illuminated emblem function, and would prohibit turn signal lamps and reversing lamps from being combined with stop lamps or rear fog lamps. It also introduces a dedicated blue-green light color requirement for ADS marker lamps. Additional provisions address gesture-based operation, voice-command deactivation of specified lamps, and the indication of manual-switch locations for lamps that can be activated by voice commands. These are proposed provisions in the draft revision and should not be treated as final requirements before adoption.

When is the revised exterior lighting standard proposed to take effect?
The revised standard titled Requirements for Installation of the External Lighting and Light-Signaling Devices for Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers is proposed to take effect on January 1, 2028. Its requirements would be introduced through different timelines depending on the provision and the vehicle model’s type-approval status. ADS marker lamp requirements would apply from the effective date to models newly applying for type approval. Other provisions would apply from the seventh month after implementation for newly applying models and from the 37th month after the standard takes effect for models that already have type approval.

How do the proposed rules treat vehicle models that already have type approval?
For vehicle models that have already obtained type approval, the draft proposes that the general group of other lighting provisions apply from the 37th month after the standard takes effect. Certain technical requirements concerning headlamp leveling devices and related matters would follow a longer transition period, applying from the 49th month after the effective date. These periods differ from those proposed for newly applying models, for which the other provisions would apply from the seventh month and specified headlamp leveling requirements from the 25th month. The relevant provision and approval status determine the applicable timeline.

What transition period is proposed for headlamp leveling requirements?
Separate transition periods are specified for certain provisions concerning technical requirements for headlamp leveling devices and other related technical requirements. For vehicle models newly applying for type approval, these provisions would apply from the 25th month after the revised standard takes effect. For vehicle models that have already obtained type approval, they would apply from the 49th month after the effective date. These periods are separate from the proposed timing for ADS marker lamps and the other lighting provisions. The precise applicability should be checked against the relevant provisions in the final adopted standard.