 |
Wuhu, ChinaJune 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, TÜV SÜD (hereinafter referred to as “TÜV SÜD”) and Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Chery Automobile”) jointly held a ceremony to issue a Declaration of Conformity for the UN/ECE R171 Safety Management System (SMS). As a technical service provider authorized by the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW), TÜV SÜD, in accordance with the requirements of UN/ECE R171 regulations, conducted a comprehensive audit of Chery Automobile’s SMS system through its local authorized expert team and compiled an audit report. This report was ultimately approved and confirmed by the RDW. With this, Chery Automobile has become the first OEM in China to pass the UN/ECE R171 SMS audit approved by the RDW, providing a key prerequisite for its subsequent vehicle models to meet the type approval requirements of this regulation.
Zhao Chongmin, Director of the Transportation Service Division at TÜV SÜD Greater China; Gao Shifeng, General Manager of the Central and Southwest China Region; Huang Qingquan, General Manager of the Intelligent Automation Division; Dr. Fang Hongjie, Manager of the Functional Safety Department; Jia Liping, UN/ECE R171 Authorized Signatory Expert; Zhan Haizhen, Anhui Regional Manager; along with Xie Baojun, Vice President of Chery Automobile; Wayne, Director of the Digital Architecture Center; He Junguang, Head of the Functional Safety Department; and other leaders and technical experts from both sides witnessed this milestone achievement together.
TÜV SÜD presents UN/ECE R171 Safety Management System (SMS) Declaration of Conformity to Chery Automobile
UN/ECE R171, as the world’s first regulation targeting Level 2 Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS), explicitly requires manufacturers to establish a full lifecycle safety management system covering research and development, production, operation, and decommissioning, imposing systematic demands on organizational capabilities, process mechanisms, and risk management. The successful completion of this audit demonstrates that Chery Automobile has built a practical and traceable intelligent driving safety management process, providing a solid system foundation for the large-scale, high-quality production of its intelligent driving technology and for obtaining UN/ECE R171 type approval for subsequent vehicle models.
Throughout the collaboration, TÜV SÜD worked closely with the Chery Automobile team, from project management, audit scheduling and execution, to the closed-loop confirmation of audit findings, helping it complete the system audit against globally recognized intelligent driving safety standards. During the discussions, Zhao Chongmin of TÜV SÜD noted that building an SMS system is essentially a comprehensive test of a company’s internal strengths, such as organizational coordination and technical management. From establishing a dedicated safety organization and cross-departmental collaboration to standardizing risk assessments and monitoring in-service vehicles, Chery has demonstrated its high regard for and substantial investment in safety. This is not only to meet regulatory requirements but also an intrinsic driver for brand elevation and global competition. TÜV SÜD is honored to participate in and support Chery in achieving this critical milestone, empowering China’s intelligent driving technology to confidently enter the global market with a standardized paradigm.
High-end competition is not only reflected in technology and driving experience but also in the safety commitment and traceable risk management capabilities throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle. Chery Automobile’s successful establishment of a safety management system compliant with UN/ECE R171 has laid a compliance foundation for its vehicle type approval applications and the continuous iteration of advanced intelligent driving solutions. In this regard, Xie Baojun of Chery Automobile stated at the ceremony that safety is the core of intelligent driving, and compliance is the foundation for global expansion. The UN/ECE R171 SMS system is a crucial compliance safeguard for Chery’s intelligent driving products to go global and strengthen end-to-end safety management. Chery’s efficient completion of system setup and audit clearance in just six months highlights its strong system implementation capabilities. This achievement would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of various departments within the company, and we sincerely thank TÜV SÜD for its professional support. Looking ahead, Chery will continue to benchmark against high international standards, continuously refine its intelligent driving safety system, uphold safety bottom lines, strengthen compliance capabilities, and drive the brand’s high-quality global development with high-quality intelligent driving products.
Group photo of leaders and technical experts from TÜV SÜD and Chery Automobile
As China’s automotive industry continues to innovate in intelligent driving and accelerate its global expansion, the standardization and international compliance capabilities of intelligent driving technology have become core elements for automakers competing globally. The outcome of this collaboration not only removes key systemic barriers for the large-scale global rollout of Chery’s intelligent vehicles but also validates a feasible path for China’s intelligent driving technology to align with high international standards. In the future, TÜV SÜD will continue to uphold its mission of “Creating Value, Inspiring Trust,” leveraging its global technical network and forward-looking regulatory insights to support Chinese automakers like Chery in driving the high-quality mass production and global deployment of intelligent driving technology, jointly promoting the safe evolution and orderly development of the global intelligent mobility ecosystem.