Beijing approves first two L3 autonomous cars in leap towards ‘hands-off’ driving

Beijing has approved China’s first two cars with level 3 (L3) autonomous driving capability, taking a leap towards widely deploying self-driving technology in the world’s largest automotive market.\nThe Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced on Monday that Changan Automobile and BAIC were given the go-ahead to build electric vehicles (EVs) that would allow drivers to be hands off in some circumstances.\nBut the cars, both pure EVs, could only navigate urban streets and highways in designated areas, the ministry said on its website.\n“The two companies have passed the tests for the two models and relevant safety reviews,” it said, adding that the ministry would collaborate with other authorities to monitor the vehicles while promoting the development of smart driving industries in China.\nThe MIIT did not say when the two cars would hit the market. Technically, carmakers can start assembling the models once they receive the green light from the ministry.\n\nAt present, most driver-assistance systems used in intelligent cars are classified as either L2 or L2+, which require drivers to keep their hands on the wheel at all times.\nBeijing has yet to legalise L3 systems, which are considered “hands-off” under criteria set by global standards organisation SAE International. But drivers are still required to be fully alert to ensure that they can intervene under any circumstances.\nL5, or fully autonomous driving, means a vehicle does not need human intervention under any circumstances.\n“The approvals showed that authorities were willing to deregulate the market,” said Phate Zhang, founder of Shanghai-based data provider CnEVPost. “Officials are likely to take a step-by-step approach in distributing more manufacturing licences to other carmakers.”\nThe model to be built by Chongqing-based Changan, one of the mainland’s major state-owned carmakers, would be able to navigate congested urban roads at a maximum speed of 50km/h when its driver-assistance system was turned on, the MIIT said.\n\nBAIC’s model, under its Arcfox EV brand, was allowed to navigate highways or expressways autonomously with a top speed of 80km/h, it added.\nCars fitted with preliminary self-driving systems saw a surge in sales on the mainland over the past few years, driven by Chinese consumers’ willingness to embrace new technologies.\nTwo out of every three new cars sold on the mainland this year would have L2 autonomous driving capability or higher, according to Zhang Yongwei, general secretary of China EV100, a non-governmental organisation of mostly electric vehicle sector executives.\nAndrew Fan, chief financial officer of Hesai Group, the world’s largest maker of lidar sensors, told the Post last month that preparations were well under way in China’s vehicle industry for the next generation of autonomous-driving features, even before Beijing cleared the regulatory road ahead.\nHesai Group was ready to supply its lidar sensors – which employed laser beams to measure distances to objects – and other technologies for premium models with L3 self-driving capabilities, he said.\nTop carmakers, particularly those focused on premium electric vehicles, such as Geely’s Zeekr and Huawei Technologies-backed Seres, have designed and developed intelligent vehicles that are deemed semi-autonomous and would comply with L3 rules, according to announcements they made earlier.\nThe cost of the advanced lidar sensors necessary for L3 could range from US$500 to US$1,000 per unit, Fan said, adding that demand was high as leading Chinese carmakers ramped up development of autonomous vehicles.\n