China is planning to tighten requirements for driverless vehicles. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a draft for public consultation titled “Intelligent Connected Vehicles – Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems.” It regulates the equipment and functionality of autonomous vehicles at a high level and is scheduled to come into effect on July 1, 2027.
The new regulation primarily affects Level 3 autonomous driving systems, as classified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). These systems are capable of autonomous driving without the driver’s constant attention, requiring input only when requested. These certified autonomous driving systems are already installed in some models from Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Changan and Arcfox, and their use is permitted on limited highways in Germany, the US, China and Japan. Tesla’s widely known Full Self-Driving feature, by the way, is positioned as a Level 2 autonomous driving system, as it requires the driver’s constant attention.
Under new regulations, all Level 3 self-driving vehicles certified in China must, starting in 2027, have the ability to automatically stop the vehicle if the driver fails to respond (for example, if they become ill). In addition, the system must do so as safely as possible, maneuvering carefully through traffic and selecting a suitable parking space with minimal risk to passengers and other road users. According to industry experts, this standard brings the vehicles’ functionality closer to Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which some modern robotics qualify as.
The Chinese regulator also requires automakers to install a dedicated autonomous driving system (DSSAD) – essentially a “black box” that can store all information from cameras, sensors and lidars in the event of an accident. The parameters of this system must comply with China’s mandatory national standard for data recording systems for “intelligent connected vehicles”, GB 44497-2024, which came into effect in January this year.
It is worth noting that Chinese authorities have previously attempted to regulate the operation of autonomous systems in modern vehicles. For example, in 2024, China adopted a national standard, “General Technical Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems for Intelligent Connected Vehicles,” but it was advisory in nature, unlike the new mandatory standard.
Despite the planned entry into force of the new regulations, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Commerce has granted a transition period for vehicles that are already certified but do not comply with the new regulations, giving them an additional 13 months to adapt.
