Originally reported by Dong Yi Chen at CarNewsChina (January 28, 2026). Read the full story →
Starting January 2028, automatic emergency braking systems will no longer be optional equipment on light commercial vehicles sold in China. The country’s new national standard, GB 39901—2025, marks a significant regulatory shift that will reshape braking technology requirements across the world’s largest automotive market—and send ripples through the global supply chain.
The mandate expands China’s existing passenger vehicle AEB requirements to include N1 category light commercial vehicles such as pickup trucks and mini-trucks with gross vehicle weights up to 3.5 tons. This single change increases the scope of covered vehicles by roughly 30 percent.
Vulnerable Road Users Take Center Stage
The updated standard places unprecedented emphasis on protecting pedestrians, cyclists, and scooter riders. AEB systems must now detect these three target categories and deliver warning signals plus autonomous braking interventions when potential collisions occur at speeds between 20 and 60 km/h.
Chinese road safety data underscores the urgency behind this requirement. Collisions involving pedestrians, bicycles, and electric scooters account for more than 30 percent of all light vehicle traffic accidents in the country. Incidents occurring at 60 to 80 km/h represent a disproportionately large share of severe outcomes.
For brake system suppliers, the implications are significant. Detection algorithms must now reliably distinguish between multiple vulnerable road user categories under varied conditions. Braking hardware must deliver consistent, predictable deceleration profiles across a wider range of vehicle configurations—including commercial platforms with variable payloads.
From Recommended to Required
The new regulation represents China’s first mandatory national standard specifically addressing advanced driving assistance systems. It revises and supersedes the 2021 recommended standard (GB/T 39901-2021), which covered only passenger cars and carried no enforcement mechanism.
This transition from voluntary adoption to regulatory requirement follows a familiar pattern. Market penetration for AEB in Chinese passenger vehicles already exceeded 60 percent in 2025, according to ITHome. Regulatory mandates typically arrive once technology maturation and supply chain readiness reach critical mass.
What does this mean for international suppliers and OEMs operating in China? The two-year implementation window provides time to adapt, but the clock is ticking. Brake suppliers who have invested in integrated sensing-and-actuation systems will find themselves well-positioned. Those still treating AEB as a standalone add-on may face competitive disadvantages.
The Bottom Line
China’s expanded AEB mandate signals that active safety systems are becoming baseline expectations rather than premium differentiators. For brake industry stakeholders, the commercial vehicle segment now demands the same technological sophistication previously reserved for passenger cars. Suppliers should evaluate their product portfolios against these new requirements now—not in 2027.
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