The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation recently jointly issued the "Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Access, Recall and Online Software Upgrade of Intelligent Connected Vehicle Products" to improve the safety and technical performance of intelligent connected vehicle products, standardize the marketing and publicity of intelligent connected vehicle, and promote the high-quality development of the automobile industry.

The notice clarifies the main responsibilities of automobile manufacturers for production consistency and quality and safety, strengthens product access and recall management, further standardizes the online upgrade (OTA upgrade) activities of automobile software, and at the same time refines product access and recall management requirements, deepens automobile safety sandbox supervision, improves incident accident reporting and analysis mechanisms, and strengthens product certification services and management.

The attachment to the notice also specifically states that when enterprises provide consumers with information about the level of intelligent connected car driving automation, system capabilities, system boundaries, etc., they should be true and comprehensive, and they should not make false, exaggerated system capabilities or misleading publicity to ensure that consumers correctly understand and use intelligent connected car products. In combination driving assistance systems or function naming and marketing promotion, enterprises shall not use words such as implying that consumers can be used as autonomous driving systems and have functions that do not actually have, to prevent drivers from using risks of abuse.

A relevant person in charge of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said that, as the strategic direction of the development of the automobile industry, intelligent connected vehicles are in the stage of rapid technological evolution and accelerated market layout. At present, the combined driving assistance system (level 2 driving automation system) has gradually expanded from high-speed scenarios to complex urban scenarios, and OTA upgrade activities are becoming increasingly frequent, and the functions and performance of vehicle products are continuously updated. The issuance of the notice aims to provide the industry with clear, transparent and predictable institutional norms, guide enterprises to strengthen capacity building, carry out the innovation and promotion and application of technologies, models and products in an orderly manner, and cultivate and strengthen new quality productivity.

Industry experts analyzed that automobile products are related to the lives, property safety and public safety of the people, and it is crucial to improve the level of safety management. Notice strengthens the management of intelligent connected vehicles equipped with combined driving assistance systems and OTA upgrade functions, improves the safety management system, and strengthens the main responsibilities of enterprises, which will help promote the improvement of product safety levels and ensure the steady and long-term development of the industry.