China issues first certifications for L3 self-driving cars

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on Monday that it has granted conditional approvals to select companies for their autonomous vehicles, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

According to the statement, the approvals were given to China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (CCAG) and Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. for their vehicles equipped with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities. These cars are now permitted to operate on designated sections of public roads.

Before receiving the permits, both companies successfully passed rigorous product testing and safety assessments conducted by a specialized expert team appointed by the ministry.

Notably, this marks a significant step forward for China’s autonomous driving ambitions, signaling growing confidence in self-driving technology and the potential for these vehicles to gradually become a common sight on urban roads. Experts suggest that Level 3 autonomy could soon pave the way for more advanced driverless systems, accelerating the country’s push toward fully automated transportation.