Starting in 2028, AEB Systems to Be Mandatory on All Light Vehicles, Including Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) recently issued the mandatory national standard "Technical Requirements and Test Methods for Automatic Emergency Braking Systems in Light Vehicles" (GB 39901–2025), which will officially take effect on January 1, 2028. This standard marks China’s first mandatory national standard in the field of driver assistance systems, upgraded from a previously voluntary guideline. An Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system can automatically issue warnings and apply brakes when a collision risk is detected ahead, effectively responding to scenarios such as sudden braking by a preceding vehicle or pedestrians crossing the road. The new standard applies not only to passenger cars but also, for the first time, mandates AEB installation on N1-class light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of up to 3.5 tons—expanding regulatory coverage by approximately 30%. Additionally, the standard explicitly requires that AEB systems be capable of detecting crossing targets within a speed range of 20–60 km/h and introduces new simulation-based testing methods to verify system reliability under complex traffic conditions. Although over 60% of passenger vehicles sold in China in 2025 are already equipped with AEB, significant disparities in adoption persist across models. The new national standard is expected to accelerate the widespread adoption of active safety technologies and enhance overall road traffic safety.