In March 2026, The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has officially released ISO 10604:2026 Road vehicles – Measuring procedure for aiming of luminous beams of front lighting devices, a new international standard led by China. This marks the first international standard revised under China’s leadership to systematically cover measurement procedures for intelligent vehicle light beam positioning.
Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China has taken the lead in developing 11 international standards in the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector, covering areas such as functional safety of traction batteries and fuel cell energy consumption testing. China has also facilitated the establishment of seven ISO working groups focused on fuel cell vehicles, battery swapping systems, and climate impact of road vehicles, among others.
As NEVs play an increasingly vital role in global automotive transformation, China has deepened collaboration with other countries under the ISO framework to enhance its participation and contribution to international standardization. In technological innovation, a China-led international standard on rechargeable energy storage systems of NEVs systematically identifies safety risks throughout the entire life cycle of traction batteries and other energy storage systems, providing an important technical basis for the research, development, testing, and application of NEVs.
On safety requirements, China has advanced the revision of international standards for post-crash electrical safety, setting performance requirements for high-voltage electrical systems after frontal, side, or rear impacts — significantly improving the operational safety of electric vehicles.
To support industrial development, China-led international standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have harmonized testing methods for energy consumption and driving range of fuel cell vehicles. This facilitates cross-border performance comparisons, supports product development, and eases export procedures for Chinese manufacturers.
Moving forward, China will continue to integrate resources from industry, academia, research, and application sectors, accelerate the development of international standards aligned with key NEV technologies, and promote harmonization of global technical regulations — contributing Chinese expertise to the sustainable transformation of the global NEV industry.
For European stakeholders, the new China-led ISO standards for NEVs, including ISO 10604:2026, mean lower compliance costs through global harmonization, but require adaptation to China’s technical specifications in areas such as smart lighting, battery safety, and hydrogen fuel cell testing, which may entail additional engineering or revalidation. At the same time, reduced technical barriers allow Chinese brands to compete more directly in mid-range markets. If discrepancies remain between Chinese and European standards, companies may need to maintain two separate development processes, thus increasing complexity.
