When new-energy vehicles turn the cabin into a "third living space," automotive interior fabric is no longer just a trim component but a functional carrier of intelligent systems. At a Sept 2 roundtable in Shanghai on high-quality development of automotive textile materials, representatives from FAW, XPeng, Autoliv, and upstream suppliers like Shenda, Kuangda, Senz, Huafon Microfibre sat at the same table—a rare sight. The clearest signal: automotive textiles are at an inflection point from "supporting" to "collaborative," and standardization is the lever.
Background
Hosted by the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA), the meeting featured President Li Guimei, who highlighted the strategic window opened by the rapid rise of NEVs. Public industry data shows China's automotive nonwoven sector has built a complete chain from R&D to testing, with a cluster of specialized suppliers. Vice President Ji Jianbing noted the industry is shifting toward lightweight, functional, eco-friendly, and intelligent solutions, and CNITA began preparing a dedicated sub-association in early 2026 to foster collaboration.
Notably, the roundtable itself was a microcosm of the supply chain—from petrochemical materials (Huafon) to fabric weaving (Shenda, Kuangda) to OEMs (FAW, XPeng) and safety-system suppliers (Autoliv). The presence of decision-makers at every link signals a shared realization: piecemeal efforts can no longer meet OEMs' system-level requirements.
Industry Impact
XPeng's chief of interior cockpit, Ma Jia, outlined four functional expectations—surface touch, acoustic & thermal management, lightweight & durability, and environmental & closed-loop recycling. These effectively draw a "technical ticket" for fabric suppliers. Future winners must master multi-dimensional performance, not just aesthetics. Ma also mentioned "tech-luxury," implying interior materials will evolve into smart-system carriers, potentially integrating sensing functions—a fundamental challenge to traditional weaving R&D.
More urgent is the standards gap. Wang Jianbing from FAW's R&D institute stated plainly that no unified national standard exists for automotive interior textiles, causing redundant certifications and misaligned language between OEMs and suppliers. Yang Jie, deputy secretary-general of the Automotive Lightweight Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, echoed that missing standards and insufficient basic data are the biggest bottlenecks. Both called for joint pre-research and a standards system covering materials, application, and evaluation, plus mutual recognition of testing results.
Unified standards would directly alter cost structures. If test results are mutually recognized, suppliers avoid repeated validations across OEMs, shortening application cycles and focusing R&D. Li Wenhao of Autoliv warned that as domestic OEMs expand overseas, supporting textile firms face urgent "going global" needs—but without standard alignment and compliance, internationalization could become risky. He urged industry associations to guide standard convergence, planning, and compliance.
On the market side, traditional automotive fabric suppliers face dual pressure: OEM cost-down pressure and substitution by new materials (e.g., microfiber, bio-based). The roundtable's message: rather than passively respond, proactively participate in standard-setting—whoever writes their tech route into industry standards gains a 5-10 year competitive edge. Executives from Shenda and Kuangda supported establishing a professional branch to solve common problems and urged self-discipline and policy advocacy.