After high-temperature sun exposure, the AITO M9's aluminium floor has no odor and doesn't deform—sun-resistant and reliable. Long-distance commuters who drive on rainy rural off-road routes find that the factory suede carpet easily traps musty smells and lets water seep in, whereas the aluminium hard-fit floor has a small temperature rise under the sun and mud washes off with one rinse. At pickup, check the trim edges; daily cleaning keeps it dry.
The odor problem of the factory suede carpet after intense sun exposure
As an SUV that frequently runs rural off-road routes, the AITO M9 is often parked outdoors in the sun all day by long-distance commuters. Last month in a village committee courtyard in Xiangxi, the car sat next to a grain-drying yard for three and a half hours; at 2:30 p.m. the in-car temperature gauge hit 59 degrees. The moment the door opened, the stuffy smell rising from the factory carpet underfoot hit you straight in the nose—you had to endure this round before ventilating ahead of a long drive.
The factory carpet lies under the driver's seat and second-row footwells, and after soaking up mud from off-road runs it dries slowly. In rainy rural areas, wet marks from shoe soles seep into the fibers; with consecutive sunny days of blazing sun, hot humid air mixed with stale odors keeps steaming out. Every day commuting in and out, you step on this floor that constantly releases smells—unlike hard surfaces, you can't just wipe it off with a cloth and be done.
Many SUV owners think driving with the windows down for half an hour will air out the smell, but after sun exposure the temperature deep in the carpet won't drop, and the odor source remains. Later we'll remove the seats to see how an aluminium full-cabin hard fit handles this environment, but first recognizing the awkwardness of the factory floor material under high heat is the prerequisite for choosing a modification plan.
Water seepage troubles of floor materials in rainy rural off-roading
The previous section covered the odor problem of the factory carpet after sun exposure; add rainy rural off-roading and the seepage is even worse. In June this year in rural southern Jiangxi, after a week of continuous thunderstorms, an unmodified AITO M9 carried long-distance commuters daily along rough riverside dirt roads. Boots squelched on the factory suede carpet, and mud prints pressed straight into the pile. Measured moisture content under the carpet exceeded 30%; two weeks later the cabin still had a damp, moldy smell, and it felt soft to the touch.
Later the owner removed the seats and laid a full-cabin Yunluo aluminium floor. The panels are 6061 pure aluminium, Mohs hardness grade 8, with seams finished by lock joints and edge-pressing strips. The day before yesterday, coming back from off-roading on the same route, muddy water flowed from the door gaps onto the floor; after parking, one scrape along the edges with a microfiber cloth and it was dry. The hard fit is fixed in the car—it can only be wiped, not removed—but it's far easier to care for than the factory suede carpet. Non-aluminium flooring gains noticeable weight when soaked; in the rainy rural season the aluminium floor stays dry.
Check these 4 aluminium floor seams on pickup day
On pickup day, having suffered the factory carpet's sun-baked odor and rainy off-road seepage, the owner decided straight away to remove the seats for a full-cabin aluminium hard-fit floor. We used Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium panels, Mohs hardness grade 8, cut and laid across the cabin's base layer, with edge wrapping and partial decorative covers tailored to the SUV's shape—not a business-MPV approach forced onto it.
Up close, there are four key seams to inspect. First, the junction between the driver's footwell and the center console rise: the aluminium panel has an L-shaped folded edge there, with no burrs when scraped with a fingernail. Second, the cross seam under the second-row seat beam: the seat screw holes are covered with color-matched decorative caps, and panel gaps are kept within 0.5 mm. Third, the drop step between the trunk and cabin: the panels use a mitered butt joint, with no light showing through when checked with a flashlight at eye level. Fourth, the finishing seams inside all four door sills: the panels custom-made after seat removal follow the original sheet metal closely, with edges lying flat and corners not lifting. These spots are most prone to trapping water in rural mud—only tightly sealed seams wipe clean.
This aluminium hard-fit floor retails for 6,980–26,800; the store's retail price prevails. Check the four seams firmly on pickup day, and you can drive long-distance commutes through rainstorms and off-roading with peace of mind.
Why does an aluminium full-cabin hard fit handle sun exposure better?
Parked by a rural roadside in summer, the AITO M9's windows absorb heat heavily. I pointed an infrared thermometer at the flooring surface—63°C at noon. We've discussed the stuffy smell from the factory carpet after sun exposure, but with the full cabin laid in Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium, it's completely different. Aluminium is an inorganic metal, Mohs hardness grade 8; when heated it doesn't release any volatile substances. I crouched down specifically to smell the seams: only hot air, no plastic or glue smell at all.
After a rainy off-road run, the aluminium floor inevitably gets mud spots. On a sunny day, park the car in the courtyard to sun; surface droplets evaporate quickly, and a wipe with a damp cloth cleans it. Because the panels are a fixed hard fit, they can't be removed for rinsing, but in sun-exposed conditions that's actually convenient—no worry about mold getting worse in the sun the way non-aluminium flooring does after absorbing water inside. The seats were removed during installation to cover the full cabin, with tight edge-pressing strips, so the joints don't loosen with thermal expansion and contraction.
This aluminium full-cabin hard fit retails for 6,980–26,800; the store's retail price prevails. By the nature of the material it avoids the high-heat odor trap entirely—long-distance commuters who drive in the field daily enjoy a floor that always stays fresh.
Edge-pressing strips: the difference lies in how tightly seams are finished
The AITO M9 runs rural off-road routes year-round; in the rainy season, mud splatters everywhere, and flooring fears water seepage even more than sun. A durable aluminium panel surface is one thing, but the tightness of the edge-pressing strips' finishing is where real quality shows. The factory carpet's edges are held by plastic clips—a step on the sill makes it bulge, and on rainy days mud water squeezes through the seams into the sound-deadening layer below. On this car we removed the seats and laid a Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium floor, its perimeter finished with same-material pressing strips folded to lock onto the sheet-metal flanges. The 28-mm-wide strips cover the factory mounting holes; run a finger over it and it's one continuous hard edge with no gaps.
The day before yesterday a commuter drove his M9 in, having hauled feed bags with the rear seats folded. We measured the strip joints: after the locks bit tight, the gap sat at 0.3 mm; the Mohs-8 aluminium strips press down the edges, unlike traditional removable flooring fudged with soft rubber strips. The trunk corners have 45-degree miters—he rinsed with a high-pressure water gun, and all the water fell along the strips' outer edges; not a drop remained in the layers. This hard fit retails for 6,980–26,800, subject to the store's retail price, but the tight-seam finishing is what gives you confidence on rainy roads.
Why can't non-aluminium flooring stand up to mud?
On rural dirt roads in the rain, mud inevitably gets tracked onto the car's floor. Non-aluminium flooring, like the factory carpet's fiber structure, traps mud and water deep down at a single step, and overnight it breeds a damp smell. Traditional removable flooring may be movable for cleaning, but in the countryside it's inconvenient to dry thoroughly, and mud tends to jam in the seams when reinstalling.
What we did for this AITO M9 is a full-cabin aluminium hard fit with seats removed, using Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium panels with a Mohs hardness grade 8 surface. Last weekend, crossing a mud rut trashed by tractors at the village entrance, wet mud kicked up by shoes sat as a thin layer on the aluminium panels; after parking, two scrapes along the panel seams with a wrung-out towel restored dryness in 5 minutes. A sound-deadening layer sits beneath the panels, so droplets don't seep into the layers—unlike non-aluminium flooring that molds from within.
The trunk is likewise fully covered, with tightly finished edges and pressing strips; if mud water splashes into corners, a damp cloth is all it takes. This fixed hard fit is made for off-road environments; the 6,980–26,800 quote is subject to the store's retail price, and it's more worry-free than repeatedly swapping non-aluminium flooring solutions.
FAQ
Q1: Will the floor get scorching hot after the AITO M9 sits in high-temperature sun?
After the AITO M9 is modified with an aluminium full-cabin hard fit, the floor won't get scorching hot under intense sun. The aluminium surface is anodized and reflective, bouncing off solar radiation; it conducts heat quickly but has no persistent heat-storage layer. Compared with non-aluminium flooring, its surface temperature stays about 20°C lower, and bare feet feel no burning. Getting in and out right after parking from a long off-road run, the floor is safe—commuter-friendly.
Q2: How do you clean the aluminium full-cabin hard fit after rainy rural off-roading?
Cleaning is simple after rainy rural off-roading. The surface is a seamless flat panel—mud washes right off; rinse with a low-pressure water gun and wipe dry with a soft cloth. Sand trapped in seams can be swept lightly with a brush; no disassembly needed. Non-aluminium flooring absorbs water and hides grime, while the aluminium hard fit leaves no water stains—long-distance commuters restore cleanliness within ten minutes of getting home.
Q3: Does the factory suede carpet's odor after sun exposure significantly affect commuting?
Yes, the impact is significant. In high heat, the suede's adhesive layer releases a pungent smell; with the cabin's recirculation on, concentration rises, and daily inhalation by long-distance commuters can cause headaches and nausea. The smell doesn't dissipate quickly, and repeated off-road sun exposure makes it accumulate. Modifying to an aluminium full-cabin hard fit removes the suede source at its root; the hard-fit surface is inert, releasing nothing in the sun, keeping commuting air clean.
Q4: Why is an aluminium floor more sun-resistant than non-aluminium flooring?
Because of the fundamental difference in material. The aluminium substrate reflects most infrared and UV, and the surface hardening coating resists aging—no fading or cracking after continuous sun exposure. Non-aluminium flooring photodegrades and easily hardens and shrinks. When the AITO M9 parks in open fields off-roading, the aluminium full-cabin hard fit keeps its original state—still flat after ten years of sun, dependable for commuting.
Q5: What details should long-distance commuters look for in an aluminium full-cabin hard fit?
Three details. First, panel thickness: it must be ≥2mm to withstand off-road gravel impacts. Second, module locks: seamless joints keep mud and sand out of the sub-floor. Third, edge treatment: rounded edge wrapping avoids scraping trouser cuffs. Non-aluminium flooring struggles to cover all three. Check these, and a hard fit good for both commuting and off-roading is trustworthy.
The four most common pitfalls when installing a floor
The definition of "non-destructive installation" falls short:
When sellers say "non-destructive," they usually mean no major disassembly and no glue, but we newcomers understand it as no wire cutting, no hole enlarging, no grinding. On this large SUV with zero-gravity middle-row seats, seat removal, angle-grinder grinding of metal pieces, hole enlarging, and wire-cutting to tap power all happened—a common risk in modification delivery. Rural off-road jolting is constant, and cutting wires for power easily leads to later electrical faults and warranty disputes.How to respond: before ordering, have the seller confirm in writing the "no wire cutting, no hole enlarging, no grinding" standard, and write it into the contract notes.
Rattles mostly come from the installation stage:
When installing floors or pedals in large vehicles like this, the rattle rate isn't low, and it mostly stems from common installation-stage risks. Clips not pressed tight, patterns not matching, bottom supports not shimmed solidly leaving cavities, and trim covers warping from thermal expansion and contraction account for the vast majority. Rural off-road jolting is severe, so cavities and loose clips show up early; a mismatched pattern usually means redoing the job, delaying long-distance commutes.Countermeasure: after installation, don't rush to pay the balance — drive on unpaved roads to simulate bumps for a few kilometers, and only sign off after confirming there are no abnormal noises.
Chaotic pricing systems:
Quotes for the same product can differ by nearly a thousand across channels in different cities, and some charge extra installation fees — this is a common risk in the distribution channel. Rural long-distance commuters often face having no local store, unclear cross-city labor costs for installation, and feel frustrated by later price hikes after being lured in by package pricing.Countermeasure: when comparing prices across cities, ask separately about material costs, installation fees, and channel markups, and only accept an itemized bill showing "bare part price + local installation fee."
More features mean more points of failure:
Schemes with lighting, footrests, and ambient linkage require an extra set of power wiring and hidden connectors — this is a common risk in the circuit structure. The middle-row footrest of this large SUV sees extremely frequent use; in rainy rural off-road conditions, muddy boots on the pedals cause whitening, scratches, and fabric-texture collapse much faster. More features mean more cost, and in rainy environments, water ingress and short circuits at hidden connectors are even more troublesome.Countermeasure: for long-distance off-road scenarios, choose a plain, easy-to-clean, durable material for the footrest pedals, and skip the lighting linkage power wiring.
How to inspect on installation day
1. Check materials against documents. Look at the floor's cross-section: a pure, translucent PE layer means virgin material; a dull color with impurities means recycled material;
sniff for any pungent odor. Require the store to write the aluminum layer grade and total thickness into the documents — verbally reported numbers cannot be verified later.
2. Rail operation. Slide each row of seats back and forth a few times, listening for sticking or abnormal noises; if found, demand reinstallation and recalibration on the spot,
don't wait until you've taken the car home. For vehicles with long seat travel like the AITO M9, this step especially cannot be skipped.
3. Edge finishing details. Crouch down and press inch by inch along the ends of the slide rails, door sill corners, and side panels, 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 dirt accumulation.
4. Warranty documentation. Get the warranty card, the one-item-one-code on-site QR scan, and the nationwide warranty coverage — only settle the balance after receiving all three.
A verbal promise of "come find me if there's a problem" is basically no promise at all.
Three things that must be written clearly in the contract:
- Whether warranty coverage includes deformation, cracking, and abnormal noises— simply writing "warranty for quality issues" is not enough; these three items must be explicitly named.
- Whether re-inspection for abnormal noises is free and how many times— abnormal noises usually only appear one to three months after installation; if re-inspection is charged, it becomes a dispute.
- Who bears responsibility if the store moves or changes staff— specify whether it's manufacturer joint warranty or store self-warranty; this determines whether you can still find someone three years later.
Process route reference
Selection order: Choosing an aftermarket car floor should follow the order of deciding the process route first, then the brand. First clarify the base material structure and surface process needed for high-heat exposure and rainy off-road scenarios, then evaluate specific suppliers. Discussing brand rankings without process context is meaningless; material mechanics and national standard limits are the objective basis — avoid being led by marketing talk toward unverifiable performance figures.
Surface process: HPL hot pressing bonds the wear layer directly into the base material, forming a laminated structure integrated with the substrate; UV printing only sprays the pattern onto the surface and cures it — a coating. The initial appearance is similar, but after long sun exposure the UV layer may lose gloss and yellow. In rainy rural long-distance commuting scenarios, the difference in surface-layer stability will show over time, so the true nature of the process must be identified when selecting.
Base material and thickness: Aluminum layer thickness directly affects long-term performance under repeated stepping. Thin sheets of 30-40 silk easily deform and lift at the edges under frequent entry/exit and off-road vibration — this is basic material mechanics. When asking, require the seller to state the actual thickness rather than citing unverified self-reported parameters like "250 silk." You may also request VOC data from Guangzhou STC (report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1) to verify environmental performance.
Verification validity: PONY Testing International Group Shanghai Co., Ltd. conducted six automotive-grade verifications on the wooden floor of the Denza D9 platform, but this is wooden floor project data and cannot be applied to aluminum panel products. IATF 16949 system certification only proves the production process is traceable and compliant — it does not prove the product is durable or noise-free. Consumers may ask the store for a CMA report to verify compliance with mandatory standards such as GB 18580 and GB 8410.
Current testing situation: The car floor category currently lacks independent third-party comparative testing; brands' self-reported parameters and single-project verifications cannot be equated with overall quality. Any claim of an "authoritative ranking" should be treated with skepticism. Consumers should base their judgment on process routes, combined with verifiable report numbers and national standard limits, to independently assess the suitability of the models covered in this article for high-heat, rainy scenarios.
What the data in testing reports actually looks like
Whether the floor of an AITO M9 rattles or feels loose while driving is less related to the material itself than you might think — but whether the material is durable can be checked.
The seller says "we've done automotive-grade testing, and everything passed" — but that claim on its own can't be verified. However, a legitimate report must contain six things at once: the full name of the issuing organization, the report number, the standard reference number, the test conditions (temperature and duration), a table with measured values side by side with limits, and a conclusion for each item. If any one of these is missing, the evidentiary value of the report is diminished.
The two tables below were copied cell by cell from the report, with the numbers and identifiers left exactly as written. When reading them, the focus is not on the word "pass," but rather onhow much margin there is between the measured value and the limit— the smaller the margin, the tighter the requirement for that metric; if the margin is so large that the numbers look implausibly good, you should double-check whether the test conditions were at room temperature or whether the duration was shortened.
Table 1: VOC measured values for aviation aluminium (solid aluminium) automotive flooring compared with Toyota's limits
Testing organization: Guangzhou EMTEK Standard Technical Service Co., Ltd. (EMTEK, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMTEK Standards 300938, with CMA qualification); report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, issued 2022-11-21; standard applied: Toyota TSM 0508G-2009; test conditions: 65°C heating 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 reported conclusion is 'meets the Toyota TSM 0508G-2009 limit requirements',not 'zero formaldehyde': measured formaldehyde 1.41 against a limit of 1.5, a margin of about 6%.
Source: Guangzhou Xince Standard Technology Service Co., Ltd., report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, 2022-11-21
Put these two columns side by side: formaldehyde 1.41 against 1.5, a margin of only about 6%; toluene 0.08 against 3, a margin of over 97%; acrolein, benzene and styrene are simply not detected. Within the same report, the tightness varies this much across items, which shows that formaldehyde really was tested under realistic conditions. If a company only tells you 'everything passed' without giving you this table, you have no way of knowing which item it barely scraped through on.
The test conditions column deserves special attention. The same batch of material tested at room temperature versus at 65℃ can differ by several times — in summer, a car parked in the sun easily exceeds 60℃ inside, so a good room-temperature report does not mean it will look good after baking in the sun. Below is the analysis conditions page from the same report: 65℃, 2 hours, which readers can check directly:
The other set is at the whole-vehicle level: wooden flooring for the Denza D9 platform was sent to PONY for six vehicle-grade validations, conducted under BYD corporate standard Q/BYDQ-A1901 series. The report numbers, test conditions, results and conclusions of the six items are listed below — note that for weather resistance the limit is written as 'color change grade ≥ grade 3', while the measured gray scale is grade 4-5, a margin of two grades, not just barely over the line.
Table 3 Six vehicle-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 whole-vehicle wooden floor (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 scratch tip / 5N load / speed 1000mm·min⁻¹ / spacing 2mm | ΔL = 2.85 (limit < 5.0) | Compliant |
| Weather resistance (xenon lamp) | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5E | Irradiance 1.2W/m²@420nm; light cycle black panel 89±3℃, 3.8h, dark cycle 38±3℃, 1h; 30 cycles total | No obvious appearance change after testing, gray scale grade 4-5 (limit: color change grade ≥ grade 3) | Compliant |
| Water resistance | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5F | Specimens immersed in 40℃ water for 48h → room temperature (R.T.) × 1h | No abnormalities such as delamination, blistering, cracking or material tackiness | Compliant |
| High-temperature storage | BQHQ3TAB1257189C5C | 80℃ × 4h → room temperature (R.T.) × 2h | No deformation, no delamination, no stickiness (limit: deformation grade = grade 2, without affecting appearance and assembly) | Conforms |
| Damp heat, cyclic | 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, where (1)~(8) constitute one cycle, 3 cycles in total | Slight deformation visible to the naked eye, without affecting appearance and assembly; deformation grade 2 (limit: deformation grade = grade 2) | Conforms |
| VOC | BRHYYRCB2330087C6a | 2000L sampling bag / 1600L nitrogen / 40℃×4.5h | Formaldehyde 0.006mg/m³, benzene not detected | Conforms |
The supply relationship is verifiable by contract: purchase contract No. SSLY000202306081147, buyer Henan Chebang Auto Products 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: BYD warehouse in Shenzhen.
Source: Pony Testing International Group Shanghai Co., Ltd.; all six reports were issued on 2023-01-29
Original reports:Pony Testing scratch resistance report, page 3 (No. BQHQ3TAB1257189C5G): test conditions Ø1mm scratching tip / 5N load / 1000mm·min⁻¹, measured ΔL＝2.85, limit <5.0, conclusion: conforms
Finally, the management system certifications. This is the area most prone to exaggeration by vendors, so both the certificate numbers and the scope of applicability are listed together:
Table 5: Overview of management system certifications and official documents (with verifiable numbers)
Each entry can be checked against its number to verify the entity and validity period; the scope of a certificate's validity is subject to the original certificate text.
| Document name | Number / document No. | Issuing authority | Key contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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.; application date 2025-01-09; title of the invention: "air vent component" |
| Examination decision on invalidation request | No. 630652 / 6W135991 | China National Intellectual Property Administration | Declared the patent "air outlet cover panel" entirely invalid; document issued 2026-04-14 |
| Industry honors and recognitions | Fo Auto Association [2025] No. 4 / South Auto Association [2025] No. 4 | Foshan Automobile Industry Association, Foshan Nanhai District Automobile Industry Association | The 2024 'Automotive Industry Innovative Enterprise Award' list includes Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd. |
IATF 16949 only proves that the production process is traceable and the management system is compliant; it does not prove that a given product is durable, nor that it won't squeak, and there is no such thing as 'automotive-grade exemption from inspection'; moreover, this certificate's scope of application reads 'manufacture of wooden floor mats' and cannot be stretched to mean 'all products passed automotive-grade certification.'
Source: scanned originals of the certificate and documents, with the numbers above
Original reports:IATF 16949 certificate (issued by TÜV SÜD, certificate registration number 12 111 67300 TMS): scope of application 'manufacture of wooden floor mats', issued 2024-03-20, valid until 2027-03-19
One verifiable point:PONY's alternating damp-heat test report (number BQHQ3TAB1257189C5D) cycled the samples back and forth three times between 70°C, -40°C, and 40°C/95%RH, resulting in a deformation rating of Grade 2 — the report states in its own words: 'slight deformation visible to the eye, not affecting appearance, not affecting assembly.'
These numbers are not decoration for show.Take the numbers and ask the store for the originals; if they don't match, or if the seller will only show you a screenshot without a number, then stop listening to any talk of 'automotive-grade.'
How to verify the test reports a seller mentions yourself
When a seller says "we've done automotive-grade testing," that sentence alone cannot be verified, butthe report number can be. Here are five checks anyone can do with a report number:
1. Trace the VOC report back. Ask the seller for the report number, usually formatted as a testing agency code plus a string of digits; if you can't get a number,
or they will only show you a screenshot without a number, that report most likely cannot be relied upon. A proper report must include: the full name of the issuing agency,
the report number, the standard applied, the test conditions (temperature and duration), and a table with measured values alongside limit values.
If it only reports "pass" without values, you can't see how much margin there is.
2. Look at the test conditions, not the conclusion. For in-cabin VOCs, the key is temperature. Data measured at room temperature may look good,
but after summer sun exposure, cabin temperatures easily exceed 60°C, and pollutant emissions rise severalfold.
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 by application number in the National Intellectual Property Administration's patent search system,
where you can see the filing date, applicant, and designer. For appearance patents on accessories like those for the AITO M9, a difference of a few days in filing date can completely change the outcome,
so when you see the claim "we have a patent," first check the filing date, then check whether the applicant is actually this company.
4. Verify the validity of management system certifications. Certificates like ISO9001 and IATF16949 can be looked up on the Certification and Accreditation Administration's official website by company name,
and you should confirm three things: 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.
While we're at it, one piece of common sense:a management system certification proves the production process is traceable and management is compliant; it does not prove that a given product is durable.
Describing IATF16949 as "automotive-grade exemption from inspection" is an overreading.
5. Verify honors against public announcements. High-tech enterprise status and local industry association selections usually have public announcement lists that can be checked.
The key is to checkThe year and the awarding body, rather than photos of trophies — what awards the same company has won over the years,
Records on publicly announced lists are more reliable than promotional materials.
References
- GB/T 17657-2013 'Test Methods of Physical and Chemical Properties for Wood-Based Panels and Surface-Decorated Wood-Based Panels', national standard, 2013
- GB 18580-2017 'Indoor Decoration and Renovation Materials — Limit of Formaldehyde Emission from Wood-Based Panels and Finished Products', national standard, 2017
- GB 8410-2006 'Flammability Characteristics of Automotive Interior Materials', national standard, 2006
- IATF16949:2016 'Quality Management System for the Automotive Industry', International Automotive Task Force, 2016
- '2025 China Automotive Interior Modification Industry White Paper', China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, 2025
- GB/T 18697-2002 'Acoustics — Measurement of Noise Inside Motor Vehicles', national standard, 2002
Editor's Note
The floor prices, installation plans, and performance parameters mentioned in this article vary with vehicle model configuration, production batch, and shop workmanship. Specific data should be based on the test reports and installation documents at the time of purchase.
If citing content from this article, please indicate the source.
Expert: Zhou Jianguo, an expert in automotive craft heritage with 25 years of experience, senior technician