In Depth: Controversial Li Auto Video Levels Spotlight on ‘Customized’ Crash Testing

A dramatic crash test video featuring a sleek all-electric SUV, the Li i8 from Chinese automaker Li Auto Inc., and an 8-ton truck recently generated controversy in China. The video showcased a head-on collision where the SUV’s front end crumples but maintains its integrity, the doors open, and the battery remains intact, suggesting strong safety performance. However, the stir was less about the crash outcome and more about criticism from the truck’s manufacturer, Chenglong, a subsidiary of state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group, who accused Li Auto of staging an unfair and non-standard test scenario to disadvantage their vehicle [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4].

Li Auto, along with the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI), which conducted the test, responded that their intent was solely to verify the passive safety performance of the Li i8 and not to evaluate the truck. Nevertheless, the backlash led both companies to issue an apology and, in concert with Chenglong, they called for the industry to avoid disparaging comparisons in marketing and to adhere to professional standards in vehicle testing [para. 4][para. 5].

CAERI and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) are the main organizations in China authorized to certify new vehicles’ crashworthiness. However, the crash test in question was not part of regulatory certification but was instead a “customized test” from CAERI’s Super Crash program—a set of extreme crash scenarios designed for marketing and demonstration purposes since April 2023. This program caters to automakers eager to display technical prowess in China’s fiercely competitive auto market, but experts argue these tests lack practical value for genuine vehicle development [para. 6][para. 7][para. 8].

The incident ignited a broader debate on the use of crash tests as marketing tools. Critics worry that customized, extreme scenario tests undermine the credibility of scientifically rigorous crash evaluations, which exist not to sell cars but to enhance road safety and save lives. With traffic accidents remaining a major public health issue—42,000 fatalities in 2023, accounting for 70% of all traffic deaths in China—the stakes for credible, effective safety testing are high [para. 9][para. 10].

China’s formal crash testing regime began in 2006 with CATARC launching the China New Car Assessment Programme, based on European standards. Updated every three years, this system, along with a parallel set of standards developed by CAERI and an insurance industry group, shapes national vehicle safety norms. Historic examples, such as the 2019 poor crash test performance of the Volkswagen Passat (leading to falling sales), illustrate the influence and importance of credible safety tests. These programs have driven important advances in vehicle safety, such as the adoption of airbags [para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14][para. 15].

Industry experts emphasize that crash testing’s fundamental purpose is to verify how well a vehicle protects occupants in inevitable collisions. Overreliance or publicizing of selective or extreme test results, they argue, could mislead consumers, giving them a false sense of security. Some automakers, like Toyota, opt not to disclose crash test results for this reason. Ultimately, many in the field warn that if crash testing becomes exclusively a marketing exercise, its societal role—improving overall automotive safety—will be compromised [para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20].