Summary of Key Points
Recently, established foreign automakers such as Nissan, Volkswagen, and Stellantis have been emulating Chinese companies by significantly reducing the development cycle for new vehicles (for example, Nissan has cut this time from 55 months to 37 months). However, in China, there has been a rise in "quickly produced" cars that pose issues due to skipped testing phases, leading to quality concerns, increased recalls, and waste of resources. Nevertheless, shortening the development cycle is not entirely negative; reasonable improvements in efficiency (such as using shared platforms and AI for virtual testing) are worth recognizing. The government has already begun to introduce new regulations to balance speed and quality in the industry.
1. Why Are Foreign Automakers Suddenly Emulating Chinese Practices?
Foreign automakers used to take much longer to develop new cars: Nissan took 4.5 years (55 months) for a single model, while Volkswagen needed 50 months. By the time their products were ready, market trends had changed—four years ago, large-displacement fuel vehicles were popular, but now consumers prefer new energy and smart features. Additionally, internal processes were cumbersome, with each car project involving three executives (project director, product planner, and chief engineer), often leading to conflicts and delays.
Now they are adopting the more efficient methods of Chinese automakers:
- Streamlined management: Nissan has eliminated redundant positions, with one project director making final decisions, and the chief engineer focusing solely on vehicle production.
- Platform sharing: Models on the same platform share chassis and components (for example, Great Wall's Guiyuan and BYD's e-platform), saving time and cost.
- AI virtual testing: Computers are used to simulate collisions and extreme weather conditions without the need for numerous physical prototypes.
As a result, development times have greatly decreased: Nissan's Skyline was developed in just 26 months, and a collaboration between Volkswagen and Xpeng took only 18 months. Nissan executives have clearly stated that they cannot survive without faster new product launches.
2. The Pitfalls of Chinese "Quickly Produced" Cars
Some Chinese automakers have misused the concept of speed:
- Skipping essential testing: Vehicle development involves two key phases: design verification (to ensure feasibility) and mass production verification (to check production line stability). Some companies only conduct one of these, leading to inconsistent quality issues.
- Lack of extreme weather testing: New energy vehicles may fail in hot or cold conditions due to the absence of such tests.
- Waste of resources: In the first half of 2026, 100 new cars were launched monthly in China, but only 5% of them sold over 10,000 units each month. Many of these "quickly produced" cars failed to meet market expectations, resulting in significant financial losses.
National data is even more alarming: Recalls by domestic brands increased by 681% in the first half of 2026, with consumers playing the role of beta testers.
3. Shortening the Cycle Does Not Necessarily Mean Cutting corners
Not all reductions in development time are detrimental; it's important to distinguish between efficiency improvements and shortcuts:
- Effective cycle reduction: Using shared platforms and AI for testing can replace some physical tests and streamline internal processes (as with Nissan's reforms), which do not affect quality.
- Cutting corners: Skipping reliability tests (such as not driving the car for hundreds of thousands of kilometers) or neglecting extreme weather tests is what leads to poor-quality cars.
For example, BYD's e-platform 3.0 allows multiple models to be developed quickly while maintaining stable quality. In contrast, some companies complete new energy projects in just half a year without conducting basic testing, which is a sign of short-sightedness.
4. Government Intervention to Correct the Situation
The National Automotive Standardization Committee has proposed new regulations:
- New energy vehicle reliability tests must be as extensive as those for fuel vehicles, with at least 30,000 kilometers.
- DC charging (fast charging) should cover 90% of the testing distance (27,000 kilometers) to simulate real-world fast-charging scenarios.
- Plug-in hybrid cars must undergo 10,000 kilometers of pure electric driving tests.
These regulations ensure that automakers cannot skip necessary testing and must guarantee vehicle reliability, preventing shortcuts that reduce quality.
5. The Role of Chinese Automakers as Teachers
While Chinese companies' efficiency is a positive example for foreign manufacturers, the issue with "quickly produced" cars highlights the importance of safety. Speed and quality must be balanced. By using platforms and AI to improve efficiency while maintaining thorough testing, Chinese automakers can become trusted leaders in the global automotive industry.
In summary, it's good that foreign companies are learning from China, but Chinese automakers need to address the problems associated with hastily produced cars before they can truly establish themselves as reliable global players.