What’s new: Several Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, have issued the first batch of permits for carmakers to conduct road tests on vehicles equipped with advanced Level 3 autonomous driving technology, a step toward introducing driverless cars into the world’s largest auto market.
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz A.G. Monday obtained the license to test vehicles with self-driving features in Beijing, following similar approvals received by BMW Group and Alibaba Group-backed IM Motors.
The permits will allow the carmakers to test drive vehicles with level 3 autonomous driving functions on designated areas of highways. The completion of the road tests is a pre-condition for companies joining a pilot program aiming to commercialize driverless cars in the country.
Caixin learned that a number of domestic auto majors and electric vehicle startups are also applying for the permit, including China FAW Group Co. Ltd., Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd., Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd. and Nio Inc.
Background: Regulators in November released a set of guidelines for the launch of a pilot program that aims to speed up the commercialization of self-driving technologies. According to the regulation, intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) will be allowed to operate in designated areas on a trial basis if their manufacturers and operators get a regulatory permit.
The Chinese government fits autonomous driving technology into six categories, going 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, also known as “conditional” driving automation, allows a vehicle to drive itself only in certain conditions, as long as human drivers are able to take manual control in the event of an emergency. Level 4 technology allows a car to run almost entirely without human intervention. Level 1 and Level 2 both belong to assisted driving categories.
Industry experts expect the pilot program to kick off during the first quarter of 2024, allowing trial operations of driverless cars in designated areas in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)
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