20:26 15-12-2025

China greenlights Level 3 autonomous driving for Changan and BAIC EVs

China has taken a significant step toward bringing 'conditional' self-driving into the legal fold: the industry regulator has approved the first two production cars with Level 3 autonomy. These are electric sedans from state-owned Changan and BAIC, now entered into the official roster of vehicles permitted for public use.

Crucially, Level 3 will not be available everywhere or at all times. Activation is limited to specific roads: in Chongqing with a 50 km/h speed cap, and in Beijing up to 80 km/h. In practice, the rollout will run through the automakers' own ride-hailing arms, a cautious, tightly managed debut that lets the technology prove itself under supervision.