Media reports call for more auto regulation

Every year, March 15 is a day for consumers to air their concerns. Recent reports surrounding this year's Consumer Day demonstrate a growing belief among media and government that China needs compulsory national standards in a variety of industries.

The auto industry in particular has garnered a great deal of attention in recent weeks.

Following media reports on Volkswagen's defective Direct Shift Gear transmission systems, recent reports have surfaced asserting that auto brands BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz use bitumen to make the noise, vibration and harshness pads in their locally-produced vehicles to save on costs.

After car owners complained of an unpleasant odor in vehicles manufactured by these automakers, it was reported that the bitumen released toxic emissions that can cause health issues, according to the same reports.

Bitumen, a term mostly interchangeable with asphalt, is a dark-colored, highly-viscous substance used for a wide range of purposes including paving roads.

However, the bitumen used in cars is not the same as the bitumen seen on the roads. A special material called polymer-modified bitumen is widely used throughout the global auto industry to make NVH pads, which are used for noise dampening and vibration reduction, according to a showroom employee at a Mercedes-Benz dealership.

NVH pads used in Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced in China and the rest of the world are all sourced from the same German supplier and made in full compliance with the Global Automotive Declarable Substance List, stated the same employee.

"We would like to assure all of our customers that Mercedes-Benz uses no materials in the making of our cars that represent any health risks, and is fully cooperating with the authorities to gain their recognition and support for this view," according to a Mercedes-Benz public relations representative. "Customer safety and satisfaction is our top priority, and as an automaker, we should like to gratefully acknowledge the role that the media in China has played in addressing these issues."

This issue has led to wide calls for the establishment of compulsory national standards with regards to vehicle interior air quality in China.

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency requires auto manufacturers to declare the materials they use during production and undergo a review to ensure that harm to the environment and human health is minimized.

Germany has regulations governing vehicle interior pollutants, including a measure that requires new cars to undergo a period of airing out any toxic air pollutants before they go on sale.

This shows that leading auto brands with experience in global markets should work together with regulators to cultivate strict compulsory standards that benefit Chinese citizens. This is particularly important for premium automakers, for which Chinese consumers have even higher expectations.