KATHMANDU: China has issued its first conditional Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving permits. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the approval on December 15.
This marks a key step from testing to early commercial use of L3 self-driving technology.
Two electric sedans have received approval. They will begin road testing in selected areas of Beijing and Chongqing under strict supervision.
Changan’s Deepal SL03 is one of the approved models. It is a pure electric sedan under the Deepal brand. The car can drive autonomously in congested traffic on highways and urban expressways within a single lane. The maximum autonomous speed is 50 km/h. Testing will take place on specific roads in Chongqing.
The second model is BAIC’s Arcfox S, also a pure electric sedan. It supports autonomous driving on highways and urban expressways within a single lane. The system allows a higher autonomous speed of up to 80 km/h. Testing is limited to designated sections in Beijing.
MIIT said the vehicles will be operated by separate entities in Beijing and Chongqing. Authorities will closely monitor operations and safety.
The ministry added that regulatory standards for intelligent connected vehicles will continue to improve, supporting the healthy growth of China’s smart new energy vehicle industry.
