China on Monday granted road approval for two electric sedan models equipped with Level-3 autonomous driving capabilities, marking the first time it has allowed such vehicles to operate on public roads.
The models were developed by automakers Changan Automobile and BAIC Motor's Arcfox, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The Changan vehicle is capable of single-lane autonomous driving at speeds up to 50 km/h during traffic congestion. It is approved to operate on specific highway and urban expressway sections in southwest China's Chongqing.
The Arcfox vehicle is permitted to operate autonomously at speeds up to 80 km/h on designated sections of highways and urban expressways in Beijing.
Autonomous driving is classified into six levels, from Level-0 to Level-5. The higher the level, the more advanced and intelligent the technology becomes. Level-3, "conditionally automated driving," enables vehicles to perform automated dynamic driving tasks while requiring a human driver to stay available to take control when needed.
In recent years, China has been encouraging the adoption of autonomous driving. In September, the country issued a work plan that outlines conditional approval for Level-3 vehicle production.
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