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On July 1st, Nanjing Hangzi Electric Technology Co., LTD. (AEAUTO) received a heavy certificate – ISO 26262:2018 functional Safety Development Process Certificate issued by TUV North Germany and endorsed by German DAkkS (National Accreditation body). It indicates that the company has the systematic ability to develop the highest ASIL D grade automotive electronic components.
This also means that the start-up company rooted in Lishui has obtained the “highest level of security pass” in the global commercial vehicle electronic parts market.
How hard is the certificate?
ISO 26262 is the “international gold standard of functional safety” in the field of automotive electronics, which specifically specifies the life cycle safety of electrified components on vehicles from design to scrap. For commercial vehicle parts export enterprises, this card is Europe, Southeast Asia and other overseas OEM procurement “hard ticket” – without it, even the supplier access list can not go.
Founded in 2019, Nanjing Airsmart is committed to becoming the core system supplier of the global commercial vehicle new energy transformation. In just a few years, it has won the title of national high-tech enterprise and provincial “specialized and Special New” enterprise. However, enterprises know that to truly open the international market, ISO 26262 certificate is a necessary key.
“In the past, when we talked about cooperation with European Oems, customers would ask if they had ISO 26262 certification.” Nanjing Air intelligence deputy general manager Zhang Xinqiang regrets.
In fact, the products of aviation intelligence have already shown hard core strength. The electric drive system efficiency of heavy construction machinery reaches 95%, successfully landing the world’s first 120-ton excavator power electric transformation, breaking the foreign monopoly; The 1200kW autonomous liquid-cooled supercharged pile won three international certifications from TUV SUD. But even so, without functional safety certification, overseas bids often fail even the first review.
However, this certification cycle is long, investment is large, audit is extremely strict, large parts and components enterprises usually take two to three years to land. As a start-up company, Nanjing Hangzhi has been aiming at the international market since its inception and proactively benchmarking the world’s highest vehicle safety standards.
At the end of 2024, the company decided to apply for ISO 26262 certification. “From the time the team decided to do the certification to the time they finally got the certification, they almost ‘reinvented’ the development process.” Zhang Xinqiang introduced that the certification covers the whole life cycle from product concept, design, production to operation and maintenance, requiring enterprises to establish systematic processes in safety management, risk identification, software and hardware development and other links. “In small and medium-sized foreign trade parts and components enterprises, startups can get this certificate, it is a minority.”
Now the certificate in hand means that the whole process of research and development, production and quality control of Hangzhi has reached the top international safety standards. Under the same performance, certified products can let overseas customers accept a premium and jump out of the “low price”. At the same time, the perfect certification system can also complete the responsibility traceability when the working condition failure occurs after export, and reduce the risk of after-sales compensation. “With this security certification, sales revenue will double in 2026 compared to 2025.” Behind the confidence of business leaders is the dividend of overseas market access brought by functional safety certification. Europe’s leading OEM orders, which were previously blocked, are now opening their doors.
Starting from Lishui Xingzhuang Science and Technology Industrial Park, Hangzhi’s products have been exported to Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, South America and other places. This ISO 26262 certificate is both a milestone and a new starting point. Next, they will also accelerate the incubation and landing of cutting-edge technologies such as steer-by-wire, and continue to write the story of “created in China” with scientific and technological innovation.
