The ESG China · Innovation Annual Conference (2025) and the first Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) International Exposition were recently held in Beijing. Wang Tao, Vice President of Procurement at Yanfeng, was invited to attend and deliver a keynote speech.

With the theme "Full-chain innovation leads, green transformation shapes the future", this year's conference aimed to inspire ESG innovation initiatives among Chinese companies and promote the development of the ESG system with Chinese characteristics. Participants included representatives from national ministries and regulatory authorities, central state-owned companies, academic institutions, professional organizations, as well as leading companies in such fields such as internet, manufacturing, and finance. 

In his speech, Wang Tao shared Yanfeng's sustainable development strategy and innovative practices in supply chain low-carbon transformation and circular economy, fully demonstrating Yanfeng's firm commitment to promoting sustainable development across the entire industrial chain and the progress achieved. 

Yanfeng has engaged in carbon reduction work since 2019, and our solid investment in the ESG field has won high recognition from international authoritative institutions. Yanfeng not only received an A- rating in climate change from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for four consecutive years but also obtained the EcoVadis Gold Certification for the first time in 2024. This marks Yanfeng's outstanding performance in environmental management and social responsibility, which has reached a global leading level. 

Focusing on supply chain low-carbon transformation and circular economy, Wang Tao highlighted Yanfeng's systematic initiatives: 

• Large-scale application of recycled materials: In 2024, Yanfeng's global procurement of recycled resins increased by 31% compared to the previous year. Sustainable materials such as renewable natural fibers and bio-based materials have been widely used in products like smart cabin. 

• Zero-carbon optimization of energy structure: Yanfeng continues to promote distributed photovoltaics for self-generation and self-consumption, as well as the purchase of green electricity. In 2024, the proportion of renewable energy used in global operations reached 42%. 

• Carbon emission data collection: In 2022, Yanfeng launched a carbon emission tracking system. Up to now, more than 130 plants worldwide have been connected to this system, providing a reliable data foundation for internal carbon management and information disclosure. 

Looking ahead, Wang Tao emphasized that Yanfeng will deeply integrate ESG concepts into every aspect of its development and strengthen collaboration with partners in the field of sustainable development. "The supply chain is the core battlefield for Yanfeng to implement the ESG strategy. Through close partner collaboration, we are transforming the requirements for low-carbonization and circularization into specific actions, jointly contributing to the green transformation of the automotive industry and moving towards a zero-emission future." 

On October 15th, the 2025 New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) World Congress opened in Shanghai. This is the second time the summit has been held in China, demonstrating China’s growing influence in the global automotive safety field. Yanfeng, as a participant and innovation driver, discussed with global authorities, industry leaders, and technical experts to explore the future of automotive safety. 

During the afternoon session of the congress, Yanfeng delivered a keynote speech on "Yanfeng's Research on Safety Protection for Zero-Gravity Seats." It shared innovative paths and systematic solutions for passengers’ safety protection in smart cabin environments. Yanfeng first proposed the "in-vehicle zero gravity" concept, redefined the comfort and safety boundaries of smart mobility, and deeply participated in relevant industry standard-setting. Notably, Yanfeng is the world’s first automotive component company to launch zero-gravity seats with complete safety protection measures, achieving a breakthrough from concept to mass production. This provides implementable Chinese solutions for passive safety in smart cabin, marking the transition of Chinese companies from participants to leaders in the international automotive safety field.  

At the summit site, Yanfeng comprehensively showcased its complete passive safety product line, as well as its system-level supply capabilities and technological innovation strength. Several core products, including SAFE UNIT Seating Integrated Safety Technology, intelligent airbag systems, and ClickRim Modular Steering Wheel, attracted attention. Through systematic, platform-based, and intelligent layout, Yanfeng provides global customers with safer, more efficient, and cost-effective safety solutions for intelligent driving.  

Zang Chungao, General Manager of Yanfeng, stated: "Safety has no borders. Only through open collaboration and ecosystem building can we achieve a more efficient and reliable future for global automotive safety. Yanfeng will actively integrate into and contribute to the global NCAP safety evaluation system and contribute Chinese strength to building a safer mobility ecosystem."  

Taking the opportunity of this congress, Yanfeng conducted in-depth exchanges with authoritative institutions such as the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) and Global NCAP, discussing issues related to passenger safety of zero-gravity seats. It also established a long-term communication mechanism with global NCAP organizations. In the future, Yanfeng will continue to contribute to the improvement of China’s automotive safety standards and promote the alignment of product development with global standards.  

Yanfeng won the 2025 Red Dot Design Award with its smart cabin design, XIM25. This not only affirms its design capabilities but also marks a new breakthrough in the smart mobility experience. Focusing on the emotional connection, self-expression, and psychological security needs of young people, XIM25 aims to create a humanized mobile space.

Core highlights of XIM25
Designed around the emotional needs of Gen Z, the XIM25 features a flexible cabin space. Its ambient lighting and haptic feedback can be adjusted based on mood, while its interactive seats are designed to make every passenger feel like a "protagonist."  
It breaks the boundary between the inside and outside of the vehicle, offering reconfigurable seat layouts and a lie-flat rear seat option, enabling a "life on the go" experience.
An AI-powered emotion-sensing system and customizable lighting, combined with natural materials, work together to create a soothing, sensory atmosphere.
It moves away from traditional control logic, allowing for information sharing and personalized customization. The use of sustainable materials integrates eco-consciousness throughout the product's life cycle, balancing aesthetics with environmental responsibility.

Conversation with the design team
Reflecting on the design process, the team explained that their goal wasn't just about style, but about blending aesthetics, functionality, and experience to solve real user problems. When processing feedback, they used the core vision as their guide, incorporating valid suggestions through methods like prototype testing to avoid straying from the original intent.
When evaluating design ideas, they prioritized user relevance, innovation potential, and sustainability, focusing on solutions that were both valuable and feasible. The team's cross-disciplinary expertise in areas like industrial design and user experience allowed them to balance forward-thinking innovation with practical mass-production considerations. Resources like virtual technology and user scenario labs helped them efficiently test and validate features, ensuring user-centric innovation.

The XIM25 is more than just a smart cabin. It embodies Yanfeng's thoughtful and human-centered vision for the future of mobility. Moving forward, Yanfeng will continue to create even more imaginative future concepts.

In the 2022 Top 100 Global Auto Parts Suppliers list published by Automotive News on June 27, Yanfeng has globally ranked 16th with consolidated sales of US$13.757 billion, up one place from the previous year, and continued to maintain its lead as a top Chinese auto parts supplier.

The global automotive market will be full of challenges in 2022, and various suppliers are striving to recover their performance. The sales revenue of the top 30 companies increased by an average of 11.6 percent over the same period last year, and six companies had negative growth. Yanfeng achieved a year-over-year sales revenue growth of 12.9 percent which was higher than the aforementioned average. In terms of new business development, Yanfeng won more than 800 new programs throughout the year from the company's global customers. 

The improved ranking, along with the company's recent A- CDP rating, showcases Yanfeng's continued advancement and progress in alignment with the company's sustainability strategy. In 2022, the company will advance its new business acquisitions, product innovation, digital transformation, and global collaboration.

Company presents unique insight into future ‘Quality of Life’ with new mobility experiences at several industry-leading innovation and design events.

What are consumers expecting for future mobility? How should automotive interiors respond to different user scenarios?  Yanfeng Automotive Interiors (YFAI) answered these and other questions by focusing on creating the next interior concept that allows sharing, ownership and other quality of life factors which are most impactful on future mobility and consumers.

“We are looking at the time people spend in their vehicles and how sharing, ownership, and other quality of life factors influence the use of that time. We are exploring what these shifts mean to live a quality life, what “good” encompasses – not just possessions, but also experiences and values, and what interiors can do to serve the upcoming changes,” said Tim Shih, VP of Design for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors at the Beijing Design 2018, hosted by the China Car Design International Summit committee (CCDIS) this week.

At another top tier automotive conference, the CAR Symposium in Beijing, Tim shared the podium with other industry leaders, and talked about YFAI’s future vision on meeting consumer needs and autonomous driving in future during a panel discussion. During his speech, he indicated that YFAI is looking beyond justinterior functions and features. The company is targeting and creating the right experience based on the length of time that consumers would interact with vehicles in the future. Taking the perspective of minutes, hours, or years, and anticipating different car usage scenarios based on solid consumer research and unique industry insight, including urban car sharing, ride sharing for commuting and family ownership. He added, “Compared to the way that cars have traditionally been designed and developed, YFAI is pushing through the boundaries to drive future design and product innovations, as well as improve future in-car experiences, whether the vehicle is shared or owned”.

Looking further into future mobility scenarios, it becomes evident that traditional vehicles are not ideally suited for the new mobility choices, especially from the interior design perspective. More and more, consumers value in-car quality of life, evaluated by factors such as speed and flexibility when traveling long distances, or ease to circumvent driving-related stress and interaction with the interior in sharing mode. Therefore, design solutions that can provide comfort, convenience, fun and freedom customized for different mobility scenarios are critical in creating a favorable interior experience.

When thinking of future mobility, YFAI’s innovation experts are only referring to traditional car interior space, but extending their mindsets to other contexts such as cafés, hotels, or home –those spaces that provide people with convenience, delighting sensory appeal and emotional connections.

“To deliver the new future mobility which are on our drawing boards now, we need a fresh and unique blend of people from different backgrounds and cultures, especially young talent with new and futuristic ideas, who at the same time are bold enough to drive into the future and beyond with us”, Tim said to design students at the Car Design Awards China Ceremony 2018. This is one of the most important design contests for students looking to launch a career in the automotive industry. There are awards in nine categories – including “Best Interior Design,” which is sponsored by YFAI. Tim also presented this award to the winner.

By building the emotional connection between interiors and consumers, people’s in-car experiences can be greatly improved whether the vehicle is shared or owned, and whether the interaction between passengers and vehicles lasts minutes, hours, or years. YFAI is committed to deliver premium quality of life inside the car for consumers from any generations around the globe.