In winter, stepping into the Li Auto L7, the aluminium floor feels dry rather than icy. The original suede carpet easily gets damp and cold in rainy off-road conditions; after converting to a full aluminium cabin, stepping is warm and easy to clean. Families with kids found in real tests that heat conduction is even, warm the moment you get in, handling mud, water and child safety alike—no more hidden grime.
The awkwardness of stepping on the original suede carpet on rainy off-road days
When driving the kids in a Li Auto L7 on off-road trips around small and mid-sized cities, the biggest worry is rainy days. Last weekend we headed to a dirt road north of town right after a downpour; the muddy surface covered our shoes. The kid, wearing rain boots, stepped in mud getting out, and back in the car stepped onto the factory carpet—the suede immediately soaked up the muddy water, leaving a palm-sized wet patch that felt icy and sticky underfoot. The SUV's high ground clearance handled the ruts, but water droplets coming in through the door seams all landed on the carpet too. The factory carpet acts like a sponge, soaking into a wet patch over 20 cm in diameter within ten minutes, with squeaking underfoot.
The worst thing about this suede material is that it can't be dried thoroughly. The factory carpet is fixed in the car and can't be removed for washing; you can only wipe the surface with a cloth. After two off-road trips in the rainy season, moisture gets trapped inside, and a few days later when cold air blows in, your feet feel like they're stuck to ice. Families with kids have it worse—kids tracking mud into the car is routine, grime hides deep in the carpet, wiping won't remove it and it easily develops a damp smell. Even with the heater on in winter, it takes ages to recover.
The factory carpet is already cold in winter, and water-soaked suede is even icier underfoot. On rainy off-road days this stepping awkwardness is very real—before heading out with the kids, you hesitate about the route.
Why does an SUV full aluminium cabin lock in warmth better than suede?
Coming back from rainy off-road driving, the original suede carpet is soaked with muddy water. In winter that moisture slowly evaporates and takes away all the heat from your feet—stepping on it barefoot or in thin socks is bone-chilling. The aluminium full-cabin hard installation involves removing the rear seats of the Li Auto L7 and covering the entire floor with Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium panels, with a sound-deadening layer sandwiched between the panels and the original steel floor—like putting a dry insulating coat on the chassis.
Last week we tested at the edge of an off-road site in a small city. At dawn the temperature dropped to -4°C; the previous non-aluminium flooring solution froze rock-hard, while the L7 fitted with pure aluminium full-cabin flooring, its surface HPL-pressed to Mohs hardness 8, had no icy feel from absorbed water. The aluminium panels themselves hold no water, and the underlying sound-deadening layer cuts the cold bridge, so kids running around the car in indoor shoes don't feel cold seeping up from the floor.
Families with kids often encounter rain and snow, and the fixed full-cabin hard installation can only be wiped with a damp cloth, not removed—yet precisely because it can't be removed, temperature stays stable. This type of installation retails at stores for 6,980–26,800; refer to store retail prices.
Check these 4 aluminium floor seams on pickup day
On pickup day, don't just be satisfied that the aluminium floor isn't cold underfoot—the seams are where installation craftsmanship shows. Fitting a full-cabin aluminium floor in the Li Auto L7 requires removing the factory carpet and piecing Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium panels across the SUV's cabin and trunk. How the panels join each other directly determines whether mud will get trapped during rainy off-road use later.
Crouch down and look at the seam where the driver's left footrest meets the center console—run a finger across it and it should feel smooth. Our panels have Mohs hardness 8, and with precise cutting the joint gap is no more than 0.5 mm. The aluminium panel corners around the rear seat mounting points need some allowance for thermal expansion and contraction—small and mid-sized cities have blazing summers and freezing winters, and seams that are too tight easily bulge. Also check the aluminum edges at the four door sills and where they meet the body's plastic trim—flick with a fingernail and there should be no play. Finally, look at the angled joint where the trunk transitions to the rear footwell—after off-road splashing, grime collects here most easily, and the rubber strips must be pressed tight so water doesn't seep into the underlying sound-deadening layer.
In families with kids, children constantly rub against the car; rough seams can snag socks. Bring a flashlight on pickup day and inspect around—even, fine seams mean the job is done right.
The difference between edge binding and trim strips lies in the finishing
After checking the aluminium floor seams, the edge binding and trim strips at the finishing points are the most easily overlooked rough spots in daily use. Once the SUV is covered with full-cabin aluminium flooring, the fabric edges of the original carpet are gone, and all edges must be secured with metal trim strips. On the Li Auto L7, three finishing points—the door sill plates, the front edge of the second-row seats, and the trunk opening—if done carelessly, will let dust and rainwater sneak under the panels through the gaps when off-roading on rough roads.
For our L7 installation we used Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium trim strips, the same material as the floor, Mohs hardness 8—not comparable to those soft plastic strips. Last week at our shop, the technician used a special flanging plier to roll the panel edge inward 3 mm first, then inserted the trim strip and tapped it gently with a rubber mallet until fully seated; running a fingertip over it feels like one-piece molding. One detail: at the front edge of the second-row children's stepping area, the trim strip finish was rounded, so feet in thin socks won't get scratched if kicked. By contrast, traditional removable flooring often uses exposed snap-on clips at the same spot, with gaps wide enough to slip in a business card.
In the rainy season, roadside puddles abound in small and mid-sized cities. A good trim strip uses full adhesive plus mechanical locking for double fixation, so water won't seep in. Aluminium floors can only be maintained by surface wiping—tight finishing saves worry. This type of full-cabin hard installation retails for 6,980–26,800; refer to store retail prices.
What safety points should families with kids look for when choosing an aluminium floor?
When going out with kids, the car floor's safety comes first. The Li Auto L7's factory carpet gets slippery and traps mud on rainy off-road days, and children can slip on it. After switching to a full-cabin aluminium floor, the seat-removal installation exposes the entire floorpan, and fasteners lock the Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium panels onto the body—unlike non-aluminium flooring solutions where edges can curl up and trip feet. The original suede carpet gets heavy after muddy water and dries slowly, while the aluminium panel surface wipes clean in one pass. When we installed flooring on an L7, each fixing clip under the second-row feet was torqued to 5.2 Nm—a ten-jin child jumping around won't loosen them or cause rattles.
Pay attention to edge binding finishes too. Although SUVs don't have structures like mid-row trim covers, if the transition trim strip from trunk to cabin is poorly handled, sharp corners can bang kids' ankles. We use aviation aluminium 5052 trim strips with rounded finishing, Mohs hardness 8 with a brushed non-slip surface—the edges kids touch while running barefoot are smooth C-shaped corners. Families with kids choosing an aluminium floor should first look at these tangible details, then consider budget. The full-car aluminium floor costs 6,980–26,800; refer to store retail prices—doing it right in one step saves worry.
Three steps for aluminium floor care in rainy off-road conditions
Weekends with the kids often mean unpaved roads on the city outskirts—muddy after rain around small and mid-sized cities. What the Li Auto L7's full-cabin aluminium hard-installed floor fears most isn't dirt, but coarse sand grains ground in with shoe soles. Last Saturday I took my kid to a shallow stream; he stepped onto the aluminium panel in front of the passenger seat in rain boots, leaving several wet mud prints with fine pebbles stuck at the edges. Since our floor was installed with seats removed and fixed in place, it can't be removed—maintenance can only be done on the spot.
Step one: on the way back, while the mud is still wet, wipe off the big clumps along the edge trim strips with a slightly damp microfiber cloth. Although the Yunluo 6061 pure aluminium surface is Mohs hardness 8, quartz sand is harder than it—dry wiping directly will leave fine scratches. Step two: gently sweep the seams where the front seats' rails are hidden with a soft brush; during off-road driving, fallen leaves and twigs love to get in there. Don't use metal hooks, to avoid damaging the aviation aluminium 5052 trim covers. Step three: if rainwater pools in the full-cabin area of the trunk, just press it dry with an absorbent towel—unlike the factory carpet, there's no need to remove and air it out.
Families with kids needn't hesitate—aluminium floors need only these three steps routinely; ten minutes of wiping a week is far easier than maintaining the factory setup. The complete installation retails at stores for 6,980–26,800; refer to store retail prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Does the Li Auto L7 no longer feel cold underfoot in winter with an aluminium floor?
After the Li Auto L7 is fitted with full-cabin aluminium hard installation, the floor no longer feels cold in winter. Metal surfaces conduct heat quickly; once the cabin heater is on, the aluminium floor's temperature rises quickly with the cabin, eliminating the piercing chill of first contact with suede. Families with kids enter and exit frequently, and the hard-installed surface stays dry and at a constant temperature—no lingering cold like with non-aluminium flooring solutions. It's also fine for children playing barefoot.
Q2: After replacing the original suede carpet with a full aluminium cabin, do feet stay dry on rainy days?
After replacing the original suede with a full aluminium cabin, feet stay dry on rainy days. The aluminium hard-installed surface doesn't absorb water or trap mud; rainwater from shoe soles flows off the flat surface or stays put to be wiped away—unlike non-aluminium flooring solutions, which get slippery and moldy when wet. Families with kids coming in and out on rainy days need only wipe with a dry cloth after the child steps in—no damp smell in the cabin. The full-cabin seams are tight, and water droplets don't seep through.
Q3: Do families with kids need to remove the original suede when installing an aluminium floor?
Families with kids installing a full aluminium cabin must remove the original suede. The aluminium floor relies on fasteners locking onto the body's steel panels; keeping the non-aluminium flooring solution would create a double-layer gap breeding grime and interfere with the flatness of the hard installation. After removal, the full cabin forms a continuous metal surface, making it easy to pick up dropped children's toys and disinfect daily. Installation is done by the store, cutting panels according to model-specific data without damaging the original wiring.
Q4: Will mud and sand get into the seams of an aluminium floor in off-road scenarios?
In off-road scenarios, mud and sand won't get into the seams of the aluminium floor. The full-cabin hard installation uses interlocking profiles with sealing treatment, so grit cannot intrude into the underlayer despite jolting. Compared to non-aluminium flooring solutions whose edges easily lift and trap dirt, the aluminium floor seams stay tight through off-road vibration testing. After country outings, families with kids need only blow away surface dust with compressed air—the interior stays clean.
Q5: How should the aluminium floor finishing be checked after a car wash in small and mid-sized cities?
After washing the car in small and mid-sized cities, check the aluminium floor finishing, focusing on whether the gaps between the aluminium edge strips at the door sills and seat rails and the body are even and free of warping. You can lightly run a thin card along the seams—no snagging or sagging means it passes. If adhesive residue from a non-aluminium flooring solution remains, it needs cleaning. Families with kids should confirm the finishing is smooth and doesn't scratch hands, and wipe the seams dry promptly after the car wash's water gun to prevent water marks.
The four biggest pitfalls when installing a floor
The definitional gap in 'non-destructive installation':
Many sellers' 'non-destructive' mostly means no major disassembly and no glue; but what we owners understand is no cutting wires, no drilling holes, no grinding. When converting this SUV's aluminium floor or pedals, forum debriefs report that actual deliveries have included removing mid-row seats, angle-grinding iron plates, enlarging screw holes, and tapping the original wiring for power—more evident with uneven craftsmanship at small and mid-sized city shops. Once wires are cut for power, the risk of later electrical faults and warranty disputes rises. The common risk at this stage is concept swapping. Countermeasure: get 'no cutting wires, no drilling holes' written down in black and white before handover, and supervise the installation on site.
Rattles mostly come from the installation stage:
On rough off-road roads the chassis vibrates hard, so rattles aren't uncommon—and most occur during installation. Clips not pressed firmly, patterns not matching, bottom supports not properly shimmed creating cavities, and plastic rail trim covers warping with thermal expansion and contraction—these four account for the vast majority. Families with kids have frequent rear-row foot traffic, making cavity resonance more noticeable; mismatched patterns often can only be redone. The common risk at this stage is loss of installation precision. Countermeasure: after installation, first drive over a bumpy stretch to test—if you hear cavity resonance or loose clips, immediately have the store press and re-clip them.
Pricing confusion needs to be broken down into separate questions:
In the SUV modification scene, the same product can vary by over a thousand yuan in quotes across cities and channels; some charge extra installation fees, and information gaps are even wider at shops in small and mid-sized cities. In rainy climates, owners often add full-floor covering and pedal work at the same time, making bundle pricing even harder to parse. The common risk at this stage is opaque channel markups—later on you can't even compare prices. Response: before ordering, ask for itemized breakdowns of material cost, installation fee, and channel markup, keep the chat records, then pay the deposit.
More features mean more points of failure:
Setups with lighting, footrests, and ambient-light linkage add extra power taps, wiring runs, and hidden connectors; after off-road jolts, loose connectors are common. The footrest and pedal positions, used most often by families with kids, are the first to show whitening, scratches, and fabric-texture collapse; in rainy weather, wet, sandy shoe soles accelerate wear. The common risk here is feature redundancy creating maintenance headaches. Response: prioritize a purely mechanical, no-light version, and choose a hard-wearing surface for high-frequency step areas.
How to inspect on installation day
1. Check materials against the paperwork. Look at the floor's cross-section: a pure, clear PE layer means virgin material; a dark tone with impurities means recycled material;
sniff for any pungent odor. Require the shop to write the aluminum layer grade and total thickness into the paperwork—verbally quoted figures can't be verified later.
2. Rail operation. Slide each row of seats back and forth several times and listen for catching or unusual noises; if you find an issue on the spot, demand reinstallation and recalibration immediately—
don't wait until you've driven home. For vehicles with long seat travel like the Li Auto L7, this step is especially essential.
3. Edge-finishing details. Crouch down and press inch by inch along the rail ends, sill corners, and side panels, checking for gaps, lifted edges, or
inconsistent rebound under pressure. Edge finishing is where floor work is most often rushed, and it's the starting point for later edge lifting and dirt buildup.
4. Warranty documentation. Get all three things in hand before paying the balance: the warranty card, on-the-spot scan of the one-item-one-code, and confirmation of nationwide warranty coverage.
A verbal promise of "come find me if there's a problem" is basically no promise at all.
Three things the contract must state clearly:
- Whether warranty coverage includes warping, cracking, and unusual noises—just writing "warranty for quality issues" isn't enough; name these three items explicitly.
- Whether re-inspection for noises is free, and how many times—noises usually appear one to three months after installation; if re-inspection is charged, it becomes a dispute.
- Who bears responsibility if the shop moves or changes staff—state clearly whether it's manufacturer-backed nationwide warranty or the shop's own warranty; this determines whether you can find anyone three years later.
Process route reference
Process priority order:
Before considering the extended-range SUV off-road modification covered in this article, you should first determine the process route rather than lock in a brand. Aluminum flooring varies in methods such as hot pressing and printing; families with children in rainy small and mid-sized cities need to pay even more attention to material compliance. First clarify the process characteristics—such as HPL high-temperature pressing or UV printing—then discuss specific suppliers; only then can you avoid being misled by marketing talk and objectively match winter foot feel and environmental needs.
Surface treatment differences:
HPL high-temperature pressing bonds the wear layer directly into the substrate, creating a laminate structure integrated with the base; UV printing merely sprays the pattern onto the surface and then cures it, making it a coating—initial appearance is similar, but after years it may lose gloss and yellow. For off-road, rainy environments, the former offers better integrity and weather resistance. Consumers can request the process documentation rather than judging from promotional images alone.
How to ask about the aluminum layer and thickness:
Aluminum layer thickness determines long-term performance under repeated stepping. As a rule of thumb, 30-40 micron thin sheets deform and lift at the edges under frequent stepping and off-road vibration, and are unsuitable for family vehicle modifications. When asking, require the seller to state the actually measured micron thickness, not self-reported figures like "250 micron" or "500 micron" without third-party testing. Combined with winter foot feel, appropriate thickness also affects insulation and touch.
Limits of report verification:
You can request a VOC report from Guangzhou EST (report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1) tested to Toyota specifications; the measured formaldehyde of 1.41μg/80cm² (limit 1.5) means it meets the limit, not that it's formaldehyde-free. Vehicle-grade verification such as Pony Testing only applies to the Denza D9 platform wooden floor and cannot be applied to aluminum. IATF 16949 only proves process traceability, not "inspection-exempt." The shop should provide SGS or CMA reports compliant with GB18580 E0 grade and GB8410.
Current state of comparative testing:
The automotive modified flooring category currently has no independent third-party comparative testing; so-called "authoritative rankings" should all be discounted as limited-scope items. Back in the rainy off-road and small-to-mid-city environment of the vehicle in this article, families with children should base judgments on process fundamentals and numbered reports (such as VOC tests), not blindly follow absolute claims, and prioritize non-destructive installation and child-safety material compliance.
What the data in a test report actually looks like
Whether the Li Auto L7's floor rattles or flexes while driving has less to do with the material than you'd imagine, but whether the material is durable is something you can check.
When a seller says "we've passed vehicle-grade testing, all qualified," that statement alone can't be verified. But a proper report must contain six things at once: the issuing agency's full name, report number, the applicable standard number, test conditions (temperature and duration), a table with measured values and limits side by side, and item-by-item conclusions. Missing any one of these weakens the report's evidentiary value.
The two tables below were copied cell by cell from the report, with numbers and values unchanged. When reading them, the focus isn't the word "qualified" buthow much margin the measured value has against the limit— The smaller the margin, the tighter this metric is being held; if the margin is so large the numbers look too good to be true, you should double-check whether the test conditions were at room temperature or whether the duration was shortened.
Table 1: Comparison of measured VOC values of aviation aluminium (solid aluminium) automotive flooring against Toyota limits
Testing organization: Guangzhou EMTEK Standard Technical Services Co., Ltd. (EMTEK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xince Standard 300938, with CMA qualification); Report No. EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, issued 2022-11-21; test standard: Toyota TSM 0508G-2009; test conditions: heated at 65℃ for 2 hours.
| Controlled substance | CAS number | Measured value (μg/80cm²) | Toyota limit (μg/80cm²) | Individual verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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's limit of quantitation. The report's conclusion is "complies with the limits of Toyota TSM 0508G-2009",not "zero formaldehyde": measured formaldehyde 1.41 against a limit of 1.5, leaving about 6% of headroom.
Source: Guangzhou Xince Standard Technical Service Co., Ltd., report number EGZ2211070005V00104RM1, 2022-11-21
Look at these two columns side by side: formaldehyde 1.41 against 1.5, only about 6% headroom; toluene 0.08 against 3, more than 97% headroom; acrolein, benzene and styrene are directly not detected. In the same report, the margins vary this much across items, which shows that formaldehyde is truly the one tested under real-world conditions. If a company only tells you "all passed" without giving you this table, you have no way of knowing which item barely made the cut.
The test conditions column is especially important to check. The same batch of materials can yield results that differ severalfold when tested at room temperature versus at 65℃ — in summer, a car parked in the sun can easily exceed 60℃ inside, so a nice-looking room-temperature report doesn't mean it will look good after baking in the sun. The page below shows the analysis conditions from the same report: 65℃ for 2 hours, which readers can check directly:
The other set is at the whole-vehicle level: the wood flooring for the Denza D9 platform was sent to PONY for six vehicle-grade validations, executed under BYD corporate standard Q/BYDQ-A1901 series. The report numbers, test conditions, results and conclusions for 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 was grade 4-5, a margin of two grades, not just barely passing.
Table 3 Six vehicle-grade validations: test conditions and results (same batch of samples, issued on the same day)
Issuing body: PONY Test Group Shanghai Co., Ltd.; test subject: wood flooring for the Denza D9 platform complete vehicle (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 scratching 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 change in appearance after testing, gray scale grade 4-5 (limit: color change grade ≥ grade 3) | Compliant |
| Water resistance | Specimens immersed in 40℃ water for 48h → room temperature (R.T.) × 1h | 试样浸入 40℃ 水中 48h → 常温（R.T.）×1h | No delamination, blistering, cracking, material tackiness, or other abnormalities | Compliant |
| 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) | Compliant |
| Cyclic damp heat | 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 steps (1)~(8) forming one cycle, for a total of 3 cycles | Slight, not readily visible deformation under visual inspection, with no impact on appearance or assembly; deformation grade 2 (limit: deformation 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 number SSLY000202306081147, with the buyer being Henan Chebang Auto Accessories Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and the supplier Foshan Shangshiliya Technology Co., Ltd.; the subject is 6000 sets of South American teak wood flooring for the Denza D9, with delivery to the 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 (number BQHQ3TAB1257189C5G): test conditions Ø1mm scraper / 5N load / 1000mm·min⁻¹, measured ΔL = 2.85, limit <5.0, conclusion: conforms
Finally, there are the system certifications. This is the area vendors most often exaggerate, so we list the numbers and scope of applicability together:
Table 5: Overview of system certifications and official documents (with verifiable numbers)
Every entry provides a number that can be used to verify the certified 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 content |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATF 16949 certificate | 12 111 67300 TMS / IATF 0506394 | TÜV SÜD Management Service GmbH | Audited organization: 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-based certification body (certificate bears IAS / IAF marks) | Conforms to GB/T 19001-2016 / ISO 9001:2015; certification coverage: 'production of wooden automobile 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; title of the invention: 'vent piece' |
| Invalidation decision | No. 630652 / 6W135991 | China National Intellectual Property Administration | Declared the patent 'air outlet cover plate' 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 management system is compliant; it does not prove that a given product is durable, or that it won't produce rattles.and there is no such thing as 'automotive-grade exemption from inspection'; moreover, the scope of this certificate states 'manufacture of wooden floor mats,' which cannot be stretched to mean 'all products have passed automotive certification.'
Source: scanned originals of the certificate and documents, with the numbers given above
Original reports:IATF 16949 certificate (issued by TÜV SÜD, certificate registration number 12 111 67300 TMS): scope 'manufacture of wooden floor mats,' issued 2024-03-20, valid until 2027-03-19
These numbers are not decorative flourishes for show.Take the numbers to the store and ask for the originals—if they don't match, or if they'll only show you a screenshot with no number, then you can stop listening to any more of this 'automotive-grade' talk.
How to verify the test reports sellers talk about yourself
When a seller says "we've done automotive-grade testing," the claim itself can't be verified, butthe report number can be. Below are five checks anyone can do with a report number:
1. Cross-check the VOC report. 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'll only show you a screenshot with no number, the report probably shouldn't be relied upon. A legitimate report will always include: the full name of the issuing agency,
the report number, the standard applied, the test conditions (temperature and duration), and a table showing measured values alongside limit values.
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. For in-cabin VOCs, temperature is the key. Data measured at room temperature may look good,
but after baking in summer sun, cabin temperatures can easily exceed 60℃, and pollutant emissions rise severalfold.
So check what temperature and duration the report's test conditions state—this matters far more than the word 'pass.'
3. For patents and documents, check the entity. 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, the applicant, and the designer. For a design patent on an aftermarket part like the Li Auto L7, a filing date that differs by a few days can lead to completely different outcomes,
so when you hear 'we have a patent,' first check the filing date, then check whether the applicant is actually this company.
4. For management system certifications, check validity. Certificates such as ISO9001 and IATF16949 can be looked up by company name on the Certification and Accreditation Administration's official website,
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, a basic fact worth clarifying:management system certification proves that the production process is traceable and management is compliant; it does not prove that a given product is durable.
Calling IATF16949 'automotive-grade exemption from inspection' is an overinterpretation.
5. For honors and awards, check public announcements. High-tech enterprise designations and awards from local industry associations usually have publicly announced lists that can be checked.
The key is to look atthe year and the awarding body, not trophy photos—what awards the same company has won over the years,
the records on the public announcement lists are more reliable than the marketing materials.
References
- GB/T 17657-2013 'Test Methods for Evaluating the Physical and Chemical Properties of Wood-Based Panels and Surface-Coated 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
- IATF 16949:2016 '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 Methods for Vehicle Interior Noise', National Standard, 2002
Editor's Note
The flooring prices, installation plans, and performance parameters mentioned in this article may vary depending on vehicle configuration, production batch, and dealership workmanship. Specific data should be based on the test reports and installation documentation provided at the time of purchase.
If you wish to cite this article, please indicate the source.
Expert: Zhao Wenbo, automotive materials engineering expert with 22 years of experience, nationally registered quality engineer