China greenlights public trials of advanced autonomous driving

China has greenlit a pioneering cohort of nine automakers to conduct tests on vehicles equipped with advanced autonomous driving technologies on public roads, marking a strategic move to expedite the integration of self-driving cars. Among the entities granted approval are BYD, Nio, and prominent state-owned manufacturers like Changan Automobile, GAC, and SAIC, as disclosed by the industry ministry in a statement released on Tuesday.

The trials will encompass so-called level three autonomous driving technologies, where vehicles can autonomously handle certain driving tasks while still necessitating driver supervision. Fleet operators, including ride-hailing companies, will actively participate in these endeavors.

The auto industry delineates autonomous driving into five levels, ranging from basic driver assistance functionalities like cruise control at level one to fully autonomous vehicles at level five. China unveiled guidelines for a nationwide initiative last November, ushering in a period for companies to submit applications to introduce more advanced self-driving vehicles for widespread use.

Under the plan, drivers in test vehicles are permitted to disengage from the steering wheel, with automakers and fleet operators assuming responsibility for safety. The ministry underscored that these trials would lay the groundwork for the broader commercialization of advanced autonomous driving technologies, though specifics were not provided. Executives from automakers hailed this as a significant stride towards the potential sale and utilization of level three vehicles by individual buyers and fleet operators.

Notably, over ten automakers and suppliers in China, including Huawei and Xpeng, have already been offering level two autonomous driving capabilities, which mandate driver attentiveness with hands-on steering. Meanwhile, Tesla is poised to roll out its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software to Chinese consumers within the year, a level two system that CEO Elon Musk contends is inching closer to full autonomy.