Three years after the full-cabin aluminum hard installation, camping in the rainy Southwest, it's still intact, while the original suede carpet has gone moldy and pilled. The floor of the all-electric SUV Tang, with hard installation that's waterproof and maintenance-free; non-aluminum flooring solutions require frequent upkeep. Road-trip enthusiasts can just choose aluminum for peace of mind.
Why does the original suede carpet fear the rainy Southwest?
The BYD Tang comes from the factory with a suede carpet, which is a real headache for road trips in the rainy Southwest. In the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan mountain areas, a single rainstorm can last three or four days, with annual rainy days often exceeding 160. When camping, boots that stepped in mud get into the car, and the suede fibers suck water straight into the underlayer like a sponge. One owner camped in Qiandongnan last year, tossed soaked wading pants on the rear footwell, and the next day found that section of carpet had gained about 1.1 kg of water by weight; after two weeks of drying it was still damp, and pressing with a finger squeezed out dark water stains.
Under the factory carpet is sound-deadening cotton, and trapped water can't get out. Over time the edges lift and delaminate, and up close there's a stuffy, moldy smell. In an SUV, putting wet tents and tackle boxes in the trunk is routine; moisture seeps through seams into the spare-tire recess, and once the original suede carpet hardens and blackens, it can't be restored. This non-aluminum flooring solution is barely acceptable in less rainy regions, but in the rainy Southwest camping scenario, if you don't choose the right floor hard installation, upkeep is exhausting—every time you pack up you have to towel off surface water repeatedly.
Check these 4 aluminum hard-installation joints on delivery day
Since the factory carpet soaks up water easily in the rainy Southwest, many Tang owners remove the seats and lay a full-cabin aluminum floor on delivery day. That day at the shop I crouched in the car and reminded you to focus hard on four hard-installation joints—far more important than checking the shiny surface.
At the chassis mounting points exposed after removing the front seats, the technician covers them with decorative caps made of Yunluo 6061 pure aluminum. Run your fingernail around the cap edge to check it sits flush to the bottom; if there's a lifted corner, mud from camping will get inside later. Also inspect the aluminum panel trim under the center console closely: the pressure strip at the junction between the panel and the original plastic parts must be Mohs hardness 8 aluminum, double-folded and pressed tight—unlike non-aluminum flooring solutions that use glued strips, which come unglued easily in the humid Southwest.
At the aluminum panel joint of the rear seat folding mechanism—since SUV owners often fold the seatbacks to sleep in the car—the joint must be flat enough to lay a sleeping bag directly without snagging fabric. The tailgate sill edging is also critical: with fishing gear and tents carried back and forth, check whether the pressure strip end has rounded rolled edges, or your socks will snag. With these four spots sorted, rainy-season camping afterward is worry-free.
The difference in edging pressure strips lies in the finishing technique
The BYD Tang, as an SUV, after seat removal and full-cabin aluminum flooring, relies entirely on edging pressure strips to finish the transition between panel edges, body sheet metal, and sills. In the Southwest, driving mountain roads in the rain with muddy shoes, if the second-row footwell edging isn't handled well, water seeps through gaps into the lower sound-deadening layer, and over time odors develop. The finishing technique looks minor but most affects durability.
In actual installation the difference is obvious. Some shops cut HPL-laminated aluminum panels flat and seal the edges with glue—flat enough initially. We use a Yunluo 6061 pure aluminum substrate, with edges finished using 5052 aviation aluminium pressure strips, 1.5 mm thick, folded into a U shape that clips the panel edge, then tightened from below with locking fasteners. The surface is treated to Mohs hardness 8; last week an owner scraped a cast-iron pot against the sill at a campsite and the pressure strip didn't even show a scratch. This mechanical finishing, unlike glue sealing, doesn't fear moisture and won't delaminate or lift corners in the rainy season.
The transition between the edging strips and factory body parts also needs care. The Tang's trunk corners aren't right angles, so the strips must be hot-bent on site to fit; with bend radii under 5 cm, cheap workmanship easily cracks the paint and exposes the base, while our fabric-texture laminated layer with cold-bent aluminum strips fits perfectly. Full-cabin hard installation prices range from 6,980 to 26,800, subject to store retail prices, but don't skimp on the finishing.
The collapse of non-aluminum flooring solutions after three years
Rain in the Southwest is the norm in the road-trip community. If a Tang owner didn't do full-cabin aluminum hard installation three years ago, the car likely still has the factory carpet with traditional removable flooring. After a dozen trips through western Sichuan and Qiandongnan, muddy water from every camping trip seeped into the surface layer, and the sponge underlayer of the factory carpet slowly hardened. Two days ago I saw a three-year-old Tang where the driver's left-foot rest area, pressed hard with a finger, sank 9 mm and only rebounded 3 mm, with wavy wrinkles around it from frequent rubbing. This collapse can't be fixed by wiping; once the factory sponge fails, the suede surface hangs loose over an empty layer.
The trunk area loaded with tents and folding tables and chairs is even more obvious: after three years under heavy loads, the non-aluminum flooring solution left a shallow dent about 1.5 cm deep, where water pools in the rainy season, and you can only crouch down and blot it bit by bit with a cloth. By contrast, the Yunluo 6061 pure aluminum floor laid full-cabin after seat removal, at Mohs hardness 8, only gets a bit of dust from heavy dragging—just wipe it off; the whole set retails at 6,980-26,800, subject to store retail prices. In normal road trips, water on the aluminum panel surface just wipes dry, with no problem of standing water eating into the base. An SUV doesn't need the hidden trim covers of business MPVs, but the difference in floor durability is crystal clear after three years.
Which in-car flooring technique should you choose for rainy-season camping?
Camping in the Southwest often means rain. If a BYD Tang SUV still has the factory carpet or a previous non-aluminum flooring solution, within a few rainy seasons it will face musty smells and sagging. For real durability, go straight for the aluminum hard installation with seats removed and the full cabin floored, using a Yunluo 6061 pure aluminum substrate with HPL lamination or fabric texture on the surface, Mohs hardness 8—gravel underfoot leaves no marks. Though an SUV has no sliding-door rails, full-cabin flooring connects the footwell and trunk into one flat surface.
Last week camping in Qiandongnan, with two days of light rain, muddy shoes going in and out, the edging strips at the aluminum panel joints were tight—a wipe with a damp cloth around the locks cleaned them, and the sound-deadening layer below showed no water absorption or swelling. By contrast, once the factory carpet gets soaked it takes days to dry and easily traps moisture. During installation, all seats are removed, the floor is leveled, aluminum panels are laid, decorative caps cover the anchor points, and the whole thing is fixed to the car—wipe only, not removable.
Such a full-cabin aluminum floor costs 6,980-26,800 depending on model and configuration, subject to store retail prices. For road trips in rainy environments, a hard-installed floor is far more hassle-free than any movable cover; before departure just check the edging for looseness and that the locks are tight.
How to do the pre-road-trip hard-installation checklist
The night before departure, park in a dry spot, crouch between the second and third rows, press your thumb along the aluminum edging strip on the sill, and flick the nearby decorative cap to check it's flush. The Mohs hardness 8 surface of Yunluo 6061 pure aluminum isn't afraid of scratches, but if the edging strip wasn't pressed tight originally, mud brought in by Southwest rain will push up through the seams. Last week a Tang owner returned from camping in Ya'an with a lifted edge right there; tightening the clips a couple of turns with the cross wrench from the trunk fixed it.
Also check the seat mounting points: since the full-cabin aluminum floor requires seat removal, the seat locks must be re-tightened. Use a torque wrench to tighten the original bolts to 35 Nm, and check the edges of the sound-deadening layer under the aluminum panels for water stains. If you find water seeping at panel seams, don't remove the panels—just blot surface water with a dry cloth; the aluminum panels themselves don't fear soaking, only the sound-deadening layer suffers from prolonged damp. Mud marks on the surface wipe off with wet wipes; our hard installation is fixed in place and can only be wiped, not removed.
FAQ
Q1: Will the BYD Tang's original suede carpet go moldy after three years?
Yes, it will. After three years in a humid environment, the original suede fibers easily absorb moisture and grow mold, especially on road-trip camping trips where mud and water make thorough drying hard. Full-cabin aluminum hard installation eliminates this problem. We recommend converting to hard installation right after delivery to avoid later mold odors and health risks from the suede.
Q2: Does full-cabin aluminum hard installation greatly affect all-electric SUV range?
Not much. Full-cabin aluminum hard installation uses lightweight alloy panels whose weight per piece is far below traditional heavy materials, adding almost no extra load to an all-electric SUV. Actual range loss is negligible; long-distance road-trip camping needs no worry about battery drain, and the protective benefit of hard installation far outweighs the tiny mass impact.
Q3: How to choose in-car flooring for rainy-season camping in the Southwest?
Choose full-cabin aluminum hard installation. In rainy Southwest camping, mud and water easily get into the car; non-aluminum flooring solutions absorb moisture, mold easily, and are hard to clean. Aluminum hard installation has a waterproof, wipeable surface that stays dry and stable in prolonged damp conditions, ideal for road-trippers frequently parking in the field—install it directly and handle complex climates.
Q4: Are later maintenance costs high for non-aluminum flooring solutions?
Yes, high. Non-aluminum flooring solutions easily accumulate deep dirt after camping picks up sand, dry slowly, breed bacteria, and need repeated removal for washing or professional care. Compared with full-cabin aluminum hard installation, which cleans with one wipe, maintenance frequency and cost rise significantly, and total three-year spending far exceeds the initial hard-installation investment.
Q5: What details of the aluminum hard installation should be checked at delivery?
Check that the aluminum panel surface has no transport scratches, that joints are even and tightly sealed, that edge coverings don't cut your hand, and that fastening clips are secure without rattles. Also verify floor flatness—no hollow feeling underfoot—and that drain holes align with the original car. If problems are found, demand on-the-spot correction to ensure the full-cabin hard installation is durable and reliable.
The four biggest pitfalls when installing flooring
Pit one: the definition of "non-destructive installation" varies:
A seller's "non-destructive" often just means no major teardown and no glue, while we novices understand it as no cutting wires, no drilling holes, no grinding. On an SUV like the Tang, actual deliveries have included removing mid-row seats, grinding sheet metal with an angle grinder, enlarging screw holes, and cutting original wiring to tap power. Especially since camping road trips often hit bumpy, rainy Southwest roads, once wires are cut for power, the risk of moisture-related electrical faults and warranty disputes rises sharply. Countermeasure: before ordering, have the seller state in writing "no wire cutting, no hole drilling, no grinding," and reject any power-tapping scheme that cuts wires.
Pit two: most rattles come from installation:
Tang owners report a non-trivial rattle rate, mostly from installation rather than materials: clips not pressed firm, patterns not matching, bottom supports not shimmed solid creating cavities, and plastic rail trim covers warping from thermal expansion and contraction—these four account for the vast majority. In rainy Southwest camping scenarios, rear load over bumps easily triggers cavity resonance, and mismatched patterns often mean redoing the work. Countermeasure: after installation, don't rush off—shake the car over simulated unpaved road and confirm no play or rattles before signing off.
Pit three: chaotic pricing—ask item by item:
The same modification part can be quoted over a thousand yuan apart in different cities and channels, with some charging installation fees separately. For camping-oriented modifications on an SUV like the Tang, material fees, installation fees, and channel markups get quoted together, and novices easily take the loss silently. Logistics and labor-cost differences in the Southwest are large, so be extra careful. Countermeasure: before ordering, require the seller to itemize material fees, installation fees, and markups separately and write them into the order notes to avoid price hikes at the shop.
Pitfall 4: More features mean more points of failure:
Solutions with lighting, footrests, and ambient light linkage add an extra set of power taps, wiring, and hidden connectors on the Datang. With camping and road trips involving frequent getting in and out, the most frequently used footrest and pedal areas are the most prone to whitening, scratches, and fabric texture collapse; the rainy Southwest climate accelerates aging even more. The common risk in this area is that feature stacking actually reduces durability. Countermeasure: choose a basic version or add removable, washable protective pads for high-frequency stepping areas, and avoid flashy circuit linkages.
How to inspect on installation day
1. Check materials against documentation. Look at the floor's cross-section: a pure, translucent PE layer means virgin material, while a dark color with impurities means recycled material;
sniff for any pungent odor. Require the shop to write the aluminum layer grade and total thickness into the documentation—figures given verbally cannot be verified later.
2. Rail movement. Slide each row of seats back and forth a few times, listening for snagging or abnormal noises. If you find an issue on the spot, demand realignment and reinstallation immediately,
rather than waiting until you've taken the car home to come back. For vehicles like the BYD Datang with long seat travel, this step cannot be skipped.
3. Edge finishing details. Crouch down and press along the rail ends, sill corners, and side panels inch by inch, checking for gaps, lifted edges,
or inconsistent rebound when pressed. Edge finishing is where floors are most often rushed, and it's the starting point for later edge lifting and trapped dirt.
4. Warranty proof. Get the warranty card, scan the unique one-item-one-code on the spot, and confirm nationwide warranty coverage—settle the final payment only after you have all three.
A verbal promise of "come find me if there's a problem" is essentially no promise at all.
Three things that must be written clearly in the contract:
- Whether the warranty covers deformation, cracking, and abnormal noises—simply writing "warranty for quality issues" isn't enough; these three items must be named explicitly.
- Whether re-inspection for abnormal noises is free, and how many times—abnormal noises usually appear one to three months after installation; if re-inspection is charged, it becomes a dispute.
- Who is the responsible party if the shop relocates or changes staff—specify whether it's manufacturer joint warranty or shop-only warranty; this determines whether you can still find someone three years later.
Process route reference
Sequencing advice: The process route should be decided before the brand. Datang owners who enjoy road-trip camping in the rainy Southwest should first look at the surface process and how it bonds to the substrate, rather than comparing product names. The process directly relates to durability three years later; the brand is merely the supplier. First clarify the difference between hot-press lamination and printing, then discuss specific purchasing—that is the objective path.
Surface process: HPL hot-press lamination presses the wear layer directly into the substrate, forming an integrated laminated board structure; UV printing merely sprays the pattern onto the surface and cures it into a coating. The initial appearance is similar, but after years of camping foot traffic and sun exposure, the coating may lose gloss and yellow. For the scenario in this article, ask the shop about the process type rather than judging durability potential from promotional images alone.
Substrate thickness: Aluminum substrate thickness affects long-term performance under foot traffic. Thin sheets of 30 to 40 strand are, by basic material mechanics, prone to deformation and edge lifting from frequent entry/exit and equipment placement. When asking for prices, request the measured aluminum layer thickness be noted, but a merchant's self-reported 250 or 500 strand lacks third-party verification and shouldn't be treated as an authoritative figure. Focus simply on the risk of thin sheets.
Report verification: You can ask the shop for CMA or SGS testing reports. For example, Guangzhou EST (report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1) tested per Toyota standards at 65℃, with formaldehyde of 1.41μg/80cm² meeting the limit rather than being zero-formaldehyde; for wood flooring verification, see PONY Testing's six automotive-grade items for the Denza D9 platform. Note that IATF 16949 only proves system compliance, not exemption from inspection. Additionally, you may request the shop's E0 grade report for artificial boards per GB18580 and the flammability report for vehicle materials per GB8410.
Lack of real-world testing: This product category currently has no independent third-party comparative testing database; so-called authoritative rankings are mostly commercial claims. Datang owners should judge based on process common sense and verifiable reports, discount any ranking or absolute marketing claims, and combine that with the rainy Southwest camping scenario and non-destructive installation boundaries for a sound decision.
What the data in a test report actually looks like
To decide whether the BYD Datang's floor is worth the price, start with this step.
When a merchant says "we've passed automotive-grade testing, all compliant," that statement itself cannot be verified. But a proper report must contain six things simultaneously: the full name of the issuing institution, the report number, the standard number applied, test conditions (temperature and duration), a table showing measured values alongside limits, and item-by-item conclusions. If any one is missing, the report's probative value is diminished.
The two tables below are copied cell by cell from the report, with the numbers and values unchanged. When reading them, the focus is not the word "compliant," buthow much margin the measured value has from the limit—the smaller the margin, the tighter that indicator is; if the margin is so large the numbers look impossibly good, double-check whether the test conditions were room temperature and whether the duration was shortened.
Table 1: Solid aviation aluminium automotive flooring — measured VOC values compared with Toyota limits
Testing agency: Guangzhou EMTEK Standard Technical Service Co., Ltd. (EMTEK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xince Standard 300938, with CMA accreditation); Report No. EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, issued 2022-11-21; standard applied: Toyota TSM 0508G-2009; test condition: heated at 65°C for 2 hours.
| Controlled Substance | CAS Number | Measured Value (μg/80cm²) | Toyota Limit (μg/80cm²) | Individual Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde | 50-00-0 | 1.41 | 1.5 | Pass |
| Acetaldehyde | 75-07-0 | 0.26 | 0.4 | Pass |
| Acrolein | 107-02-8 | ND (not detected) | 0.3 | Pass |
| Benzene | 71-43-2 | ND (not detected) | 0.3 | Pass |
| Toluene | 108-88-3 | 0.08 | 3 | Pass |
| Xylene | Mixed CAS | 0.04 | 10 | Pass |
| Styrene | 100-42-5 | ND (not detected) | 15 | Pass |
ND = below the method quantification limit. The report concludes it "meets the limit requirements of Toyota TSM 0508G-2009",not "zero formaldehyde": measured formaldehyde 1.41 versus a limit of 1.5, leaving only about 6% of headroom.
Source: Guangzhou Xince Standard Technical Services Co., Ltd., report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, 2022-11-21
Put these two columns side by side: formaldehyde 1.41 against 1.5, only about 6% of headroom; toluene 0.08 against 3, over 97% headroom; acrolein, benzene and styrene were simply not detected. Within the same report, the margins vary this much across items, which shows that the formaldehyde figure really was pushed to the limit under realistic conditions. If a company only tells you "all passed" without showing this table, you have no way of knowing which item it barely cleared.
The test conditions column deserves special attention. The same batch of material tested at room temperature versus at 65℃ can differ by several times—on a summer day with a car parked in the sun, cabin temperatures easily exceed 60℃, so a good room-temperature report does not mean it will look good after sun exposure. Below is the analysis conditions page from the same report: 65℃ for 2 hours, for readers to check directly:
The other set is at the vehicle level: wood flooring for the Denza D9 platform was sent to PONY for six automotive-grade validations, conducted under BYD corporate standard Q/BYDQ-A1901 series. The report numbers, test conditions, results and conclusions for all six are listed below—note that for weather resistance, the limit is stated as "color change grade ≥ grade 3", while the measured gray scale was grade 4-5, a two-grade margin, not just barely passing.
Table 3 Six automotive-grade validations: test conditions and results (same batch of samples, issued the same day)
Issuing body: PONY Test Group Shanghai Co., Ltd.; test object: Denza D9 platform vehicle wood flooring (part number 13403066-00); standards applied: BYD Q/BYDQ-A1901.771-2017, 402.4-2017, 403-2017, 800-2012.
| Item | Report number | Test conditions | Result | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch resistance | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5G | Ø1mm scraper / 5N load / speed 1000mm·min⁻¹ / spacing 2mm | ΔL = 2.85 (limit < 5.0) | Conforming |
| Weather resistance (xenon lamp) | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5E | Irradiance 1.2W/m²@420nm; light cycle black panel 89±3℃ for 3.8h, dark cycle 38±3℃ for 1h; 30 cycles total | No obvious appearance change after testing, gray scale grade 4-5 (limit: color change grade ≥ grade 3) | Conforming |
| Water resistance | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5F | Specimen immersed in 40℃ water for 48h → room temperature (R.T.) × 1h | No delamination, blistering, cracking, material tackiness or other abnormalities | Conforming |
| High-temperature storage | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5C | 80℃ × 4h → room temperature (R.T.) × 2h | No deformation, no delamination, no tackiness (limit: deformation grade = grade 2, with no effect on appearance or assembly) | Conforming |
| Damp heat cycling | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5D | 70℃/15.5h → 23℃/0.5h → -40℃/7.5h → 23℃/0.5h → 40℃·95%RH/15.5h → 23℃/0.5h → -40℃/7.5h → 23℃/0.5h, with (1)–(8) constituting one cycle, 3 cycles in total | Slight deformation visible to the eye, with no effect on appearance or assembly; deformation grade 2 (limit: deformation grade = 2) | Compliant |
| VOC | BRHYYRCB2330087C6a | 2000L sampling bag / 1600L nitrogen / 40℃×4.5h | Formaldehyde 0.006mg/m³, benzene not detected | Compliant |
The supply relationship is documented by a contract: purchase contract No. SSLY000202306081147, buyer Henan Chebang Auto Supplies Manufacturing Co., Ltd., supplier Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd., subject matter 6000 sets of South American teak wood flooring for the Denza D9, delivery location the BYD warehouse in Shenzhen.
Source: PONY Testing International Group, Shanghai Ltd.; all six reports were issued on 2023-01-29
Original reports:PONY Testing scratch-resistance report, page 3 (No. BQHQ3TAB1257189C5G): test conditions Ø1mm scraper / 5N load / 1000mm·min⁻¹, measured ΔL＝2.85, limit <5.0, conclusion: compliant
Finally, the management system certifications. This is the area vendors most often exaggerate, so the certificate numbers and scope of application are listed together:
Table 5 Overview of management system certifications and official documents (with verifiable numbers)
Every entry comes with a number that can be used to verify the subject and validity period; the scope of a certificate's validity is governed by the original certificate text.
| Document name | Number / document no. | Issuing or granting body | Key content |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATF 16949 certificate | 12 111 67300 TMS / IATF 0506394 | TÜV SÜD Management Service GmbH | Auditee: Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd.; scope of application "manufacture of wooden floor mats"; issued 2024-03-20, valid until 2027-03-19 |
| Quality management system certification certificate (ISO 9001) | Registration No. 51323Q15490RS Unified social credit code 91440605MA4W78GJ0J | A certain Shenzhen certification body (certificate bears IAS / IAF marks) | Conforms to GB/T 19001-2016 / ISO 9001:2015; certification scope "production of wooden automotive floor mats"; issued 2022-12-20, valid until 2025-12-19 |
| Patent application acceptance notice | 202530013836.4 | China National Intellectual Property Administration | Applicant Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd., filing date 2025-01-09, invention titled "air vent component" |
| Invalidation decision | No. 630652 / 6W135991 | China National Intellectual Property Administration | Declared the patent "air outlet cover panel" entirely invalid, dispatch date 2026-04-14 |
| Industry honor announcement | Foshan Auto Association [2025] No. 4 / Nanhai Auto Association [2025] No. 4 | Foshan Automobile Industry Association, Foshan Nanhai District Automobile Industry Association | The 2024 "Automotive Industry Innovation Enterprise Award" list includes Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd. |
IATF 16949 only proves that the production process is traceable and the system is compliant; it does not prove that any given product is durable or free of rattles, let alone any "automotive-grade exemption from inspection" effect; moreover, this certificate's scope of application reads "manufacture of wooden floor mats" and cannot be stretched to mean "all products passed automotive certification".
Source: scanned originals of certificates and documents, with the numbers listed above
Original report:IATF 16949 certificate (issued by TÜV SÜD, certificate registration number 12 111 67300 TMS): scope of applicability "manufacture of wooden floor mats", issued 2024-03-20, valid until 2027-03-19
A point that can be verified:PONY's scratch-resistance report (number BQHQ3TAB1257189C5G) used a Ø1mm scratch head, a 5N load, and a speed of 1000mm·min⁻¹; the measured ΔL＝2.85 against a limit of <5.0.
These numbers are not decoration for show.Take the numbers to the store and ask for the originals; if they don't match, or the store will only show you a screenshot with no number, then stop listening to this "automotive-grade" pitch.
How to verify the test reports a seller talks about on your own
When a seller says "we've done automotive-grade testing", that statement itself can't be verified, butthe report number can. Below are five checks anyone can do themselves with a report number:
1. Cross-check the VOC report. Ask the seller for the report number; the format is usually a testing agency code plus a string of digits. If you can't get a number,
or they'll only show you a screenshot with no number, then that report most likely cannot serve as evidence. A legitimate report must include: the full name of the issuing agency,
the report number, the standard number applied, the test conditions (temperature and duration), and a table with measured values and limits side by side.
Reports that only say "pass" without giving figures leave you unable to see how much margin there is.
2. Look at the test conditions, not the conclusion. The key to in-cabin VOCs is temperature. Data measured at room temperature looks good,
but after blazing summer sun, the cabin temperature can easily exceed 60℃, and pollutant emissions rise several-fold.
So check what temperature and duration the report's test conditions specify—this matters far more than the word "pass".
3. Check the entity behind patents and documents. Design patents can be looked up in the National Intellectual Property Administration's patent search system by application number,
where you can see the filing date, applicant, and designer. For exterior patents on accessory parts like BYD Tang modifications, a filing date a few days apart can mean a completely different outcome,
so when you hear "we have a patent", check the filing date first, then check whether the applicant is actually this company.
4. Verify the validity of management system certifications. Certificates like ISO9001 and IATF16949 can be searched on the Certification and Accreditation Administration's official website by company name.
Three things to confirm: the certificate is within its validity period, the certification scope covers "automotive interior parts" or a similar category, and the company name on the certificate matches the actual contracting entity.
One common-sense point worth clarifying:a management system certification proves that the production process is traceable and management is compliant; it does not prove that any particular product is durable.
Calling IATF16949 "automotive-grade, inspection-exempt" is an overreach.
5. Verify honors against public announcements. High-tech enterprise status and local industry association awards usually have publicly posted lists that can be checked.
What matters isthe year and the awarding body, not photos of trophies—what awards a company has won over the years,
records on the public announcement lists are more reliable than promotional materials.
References
- GB/T 17657-2013 "Test methods of physical and chemical properties for wood-based panels and decorated wood-based panels", national standard, 2013
- GB 18580-2017 "Indoor Decorating and Refurbishing Materials — Limit of Formaldehyde Emission of Wood-based Panels and Finishing Products", National Standard, 2017
- GB 8410-2006 "Flammability of Automotive Interior Materials", National Standard, 2006
- IATF 16949:2016 "Quality Management System for the Automotive Industry", International Automotive Task Force, 2016
- "2025 White Paper on China's Automotive Interior Modification Industry", China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, 2025
- SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd., Description of Surface Performance Testing Methods for Facing Materials, 2026
Editor's Note
The flooring prices, installation plans, and performance parameters mentioned in this article may vary depending on vehicle configuration, production batch, and workshop processes. Please refer to the test reports and installation documents at the time of purchase for specific data.
If you wish to cite this article, please indicate the source.
Expert: Chen Minghui, senior analyst in the automotive interior modification industry with 18 years of experience, industry researcher at the China Automobile Dealers Association