MIIT Seeks Public Input on Mandatory National Standard for L2 ADAS; Stellantis Plans to Restart China-Europe Collaboration with Dongfeng Group

On April 16, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the draft mandatory national standard titled "Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems in Intelligent Connected Vehicles" for public consultation until April 22, with a proposed implementation date of January 1, 2027. This marks China’s first mandatory national standard specifically targeting Level 2 (L2) driving assistance systems. Jointly drafted by companies including Huawei, Xiaomi, BYD, and Tesla, the standard categorizes L2 combined driving assistance systems into three types: basic single-lane, basic multi-lane, and navigation-guided combined driving assistance, while clearly defining functional boundaries, capability thresholds, and safety requirements. On the same day, sources familiar with the matter revealed that Stellantis Group is in talks with Dongfeng Motor Corporation to revive their partnership, planning joint vehicle production in both China and Europe. Under the proposed arrangement, Dongfeng would utilize Stellantis’ underutilized European manufacturing facilities, in exchange for potentially producing certain Stellantis-branded models in China. In automaker news, Yu Chengdong disclosed that the Aito M8 has delivered over 170,000 units since its launch one year ago, making it the best-selling SUV in the RMB 400,000 price segment. The model is available in both five- and six-seat configurations, with a starting price of RMB 359,800. Lei Jun announced that Xiaomi will livestream the SU7’s long-distance range test from Beijing to Shanghai on April 17, expected to take approximately 15 hours. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner stated that Audi will jointly launch its third China-exclusive premium sports sedan with SAIC Motor in 2025, with development already underway. Stellantis forecasts global deliveries of 1.4 million vehicles in Q1 2026, a 12% year-over-year increase, driven primarily by growth in North America and Europe. YiJing Auto confirmed its initial list of top 100 dealers and plans to open more than 300 stores across 79 cities nationwide over the coming months. In the auto parts sector, SVOLT Energy’s 80 kWh plug-in hybrid battery “Fortress 2.0” has entered mass production in Changzhou and will debut on a plug-in hybrid model set to be unveiled at the upcoming Beijing Auto Show. The Phase IV facility at CALB’s Wuhan base has completed its main structure and is scheduled for mass production by the end of June. CATL plans to establish a wholly owned subsidiary, Era Resources Group (Xiamen) Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of RMB 30 billion, focusing on investment and operations in new energy mineral resources. On the industrial economics front, ZhiXiang Future secured over RMB 500 million in financing to advance research on its full-modality world model and expand globally. Boundary Intelligence closed a Series B round exceeding RMB 100 million, becoming China’s first eVTOL flight control company to complete this funding stage. Tashi Zhihang raised USD 455 million in a Pre-A round, setting a record for the largest single fundraising round in China’s embodied intelligence sector. On the policy side, Guangzhou City issued the "30 Measures to Optimize the Business Environment (2026)," which includes accelerating hydrogen energy industry development, aiming to surpass 10,000 fuel cell vehicles in deployment, and advancing green factory construction, dual carbon emission controls, and carbon footprint management system development. In executive appointments, Dow Inc. announced that current CEO Jim Fitterling will transition to Executive Chairman effective July 1, 2026, and current COO Karen S. Carter will succeed him as CEO.