A look back at a transformative year in China's auto industry
Autonomous cars being tested on public roads
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology granted conditional approval for China's first Level 3 autonomous vehicles for public-road pilots on Dec 15, signaling a move from technology validation toward mass-production application under regulation. The approvals apply to two electric sedans — the Deepal SL03 and Arcfox Alpha S — allowing them to operate under defined conditions on designated highway sections in Chongqing and Beijing respectively. Following the approval, Chongqing issued the country's first L3 license plate on Dec 20, restricted to selected routes and a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour. Beijing followed on Dec 23, issuing its first batch of L3 license plates and permitting speeds up to 80 km/h on designated expressway sections. The pilots are designed to clarify safety responsibilities and provide data for rules on liability, insurance and road management.
