Auto Executives Stress Brake Safety, Oppose Cost-Cutting by Downgrading Braking Components

Recently, at the launch event of the Exeed EX7, Li Xueyong, Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile, pointed out that the automotive industry currently overlooks vehicle handling and driving performance. He noted that some companies excessively prioritize decorative features like sofas and refrigerators while reducing brake disc sizes to cut costs. Li emphasized that this practice violates fundamental principles of physics and could compromise driving safety—particularly for heavier new energy vehicles, which require robust braking performance. Several other automotive executives have recently voiced similar concerns about braking safety, stressing that regardless of advances in intelligent driver-assistance technologies, the reliability of basic braking systems remains central to vehicle safety. The Chinese government has already issued the "Automotive Brake Disc" standard, which explicitly requires brake discs to be clearly marked with their minimum allowable thickness to prevent manufacturers from excessively thinning them to reduce costs. Furthermore, a new national standard set to take effect in January 2026 will introduce additional safety regulations addressing emerging technologies such as single-pedal mode and brake-by-wire systems, further strengthening requirements for braking system safety in response to the evolving trends in new energy vehicles.