Chinese carmakers gear up for L3 self-driving roll-out
SCMP Tech / 4/13/2026
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Key Points
- China has approved the first “hands off” Level 3 (L3) self-driving EV models to operate on public roads, marking the start of a major rollout year for L3 autonomy.
- The initial automakers received permission in mid-December to build these EV models with L3 autonomous driving, and they are now preparing for mass production.
- China is also releasing new mandatory safety standards for autonomous vehicles and seeking public comment, indicating regulators are tightening requirements alongside deployment.
- The article frames L3 as a higher-autonomy capability (L0–L5 scale) that can drive independently under certain conditions, enabling broader commercialization efforts while still relying on defined safety constraints.
A pivotal year for self-driving cars has begun in China, with the first “hands off” models approved to ply public roads, carmakers gearing up to mass-produce them and the first mandatory safety standards for autonomous vehicles out for public comment.
The first carmakers were given the go-ahead in mid-December to build electric vehicle (EV) models with Level 3 (L3) autonomous driving capability. On an international scale from L0 to L5, an L3 autonomous vehicle can operate independently under...
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