What’s new: Chinese regulators granted approval to the first batch of automakers to test vehicles equipped with advanced autonomous driving technology on public roads, as the country aims to speed up commercialization of the technology.
Four ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shortlisted nine car manufacturers including BYD Co. Ltd., Nio Inc., Chang’an Automobile Co. Ltd., Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd. and SAIC Motor Co. Ltd. to test level 3 autonomous driving capabilities on restricted areas in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
The automakers will partner with fleet operators, such as ride-hailing platforms, to carry out the tests, according to a joint statement by the regulators.
Background: Chinese regulators in November set of guidelines for the launch of a pilot program aiming to speed up the commercialization of self-driving technologies. Under the regulation, intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) will be allowed to operate in designated areas on a trial basis if a permit is granted.
The Chinese government categorizes autonomous driving technology into six levels, from zero for fully manual to five for fully autonomous, much like the standards set by the U.S.-based SAE International.
Level 3 technology, known as “conditional” driving automation, allows a vehicle to drive itself only in certain conditions, as long as human drivers can take control in the event of an emergency. Level 4 technology allows a car to run almost entirely without human intervention in most cases. Level 1 and Level 2 both belong to assisted driving categories.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
