China Is Worried Its Automakers Are Building Cars Too Fast

Rapid Rate

No matter what people say or think, it’s become a universal truth that Chinese automakers are dominating the global automotive market. One of the reasons that Chinese-made cars are able to do so is because of the brand’s ability to rapidly develop, test, and build new models.

Essentially, the Chinese automotive market has been able to take the same recipes found in their technology counterparts, and the market is constantly flooded with new models. With development times rapidly shortening, regulators are taking a closer look at Chinese automakers, with quality being a main concern.

Speed Kills Quality?

In a report by Automotive News Europe, Chinese regulators are on alert about the rapid development speed of the local automotive industry. Specifically, the report highlights that the breakneck speed has regulators worried about safety and quality. This also coincides with the news that Chinese brands are slowly integrating AI to help speed things up, which could see the current industry development-to-production timeline of 2 years cut down to an astonishing 18 months.

The current 2-year timeline is already much faster compared to the other legacy brands outside of China, which usually take 3 to 5 years to develop, test, and produce an all-new model. To help ensure that safety and quality controls are being met, Chinese regulators have launched a yearlong campaign that includes surprise inspections. Surprisingly, there are a few automakers from China who are weary of the rapid pace; Geely, Chery, and GWM have gone on record to say that faster development times essentially turn customers into testers for durability and safety in real time.

Not Fast Moving Goods

Li Xueyong, vice-president at Chery, said that cars should not be considered fast-moving goods since they are used by millions and must endure the test of time and varying driving conditions. He goes on to say that there are development timelines that they simply cannot afford to shortcut. China has already been clamping down on its automakers as of late, with the most recent new rules regarding the outlawing of flush door handles in production cars, which has led to some fatal accidents already.

Regulators are also now pushing to rework its mandatory road testing rule for new energy vehicles by doubling the distance to 30,000. China’s own Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is apparently paying close attention to customer complaints online, according to anonymous sources quoted by Automotive News Europe.