2025 Shanghai Auto Show: Chinese vehicle manufacturers tone down self-driving car enthusiasm following crash incident
Steering the Future of Electric Vehicles: Focus on Safety and User Experience
As the 10-day Shanghai auto show kicks off, the buzz is all about the latest vehicles and technology systems. Gone are the days of "autonomous driving," "unmanned driving," and "self driving." Instead, terms like "navigate on autopilot" (NOA) and "advanced driver assistance" are taking center stage.
Safety, it seems, is the major talking point for industry executives at the show. With over 70 carmakers from 26 countries and regions in attendance, the focus is no longer just on showcasing tech, but on improving user experience, ensuring safety, and teaching users to use tech responsibly.
Yu Qian, co-founder and CEO of Qcraft, a tech provider that announced an urban NOA system on Wednesday, made this clear. He emphasized, "The essence of innovation is not in showcasing technologies, but in improving user experience, ensuring safety, and guiding users to understand how to use technology responsibly."
Safety was the guiding principle behind the assisted-driving system for premium EVs unveiled on Thursday by German carmaker Audi and Momenta, Beijing's autonomous-driving firm.
Xu Lei, CEO of solution provider Nullmax, DriveSafe's parent company, underscores the need for companies not to compromise safety for cost reductions, especially in an increasingly competitive market. "Cost is essential, but discussions about cost-effectiveness must be based on safety. This is crucial for an industry's sustainable development."
While the latest 2025 trends in EV safety and driver assistance systems aren't explicitly reported from the Shanghai Auto Show, the focus on safety suggests that these advancements are central to China's EV showcases. Standards such as the updated GB 38031-2025, which mandates no fire/explosion for two hours after a single-cell thermal runaway, with five-minute occupant warnings and no cabin smoke ingress, highlight China's commitment to battery safety innovations.
Moreover, the recent emphasis on software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) from key players like Tesla and Hyundai underscores the broader shift towards AI-driven safety features, real-time diagnostics, and personalized driving aids. These trends, while not directly reported from the Shanghai Auto Show, likely influence the recent showcases and highlight China's leadership in setting stringent safety standards.
- Yu Qian, CEO of Qcraft, a tech provider, believes that the essence of innovation lies in improving user experience, ensuring safety, and guiding users to understand how to use technology responsibly.
- Xu Lei, CEO of solution provider Nullmax, DriveSafe's parent company, stresses the importance of companies not compromising safety for cost reductions, especially in an increasingly competitive market.
- The assisted-driving system for premium EVs unveiled by German carmaker Audi and Momenta, Beijing's autonomous-driving firm, was guided by the principle of safety.
- Safety appears to be a central focus in China's EV showcases, as standards such as the updated GB 38031-2025 mandate no fire/explosion for two hours after a single-cell thermal runaway, with five-minute occupant warnings and no cabin smoke ingress.
- Tesla and Hyundai, key players in the industry, are embracing trends towards AI-driven safety features, real-time diagnostics, and personalized driving aids.
- With safety taking center stage at events like the Shanghai auto show, it seems that technology systems in the EV transportation and automotive industries are moving towards prioritizing user experience and safety over autonomous labels like "autonomous driving" or "unmanned driving."
