rki.news | Source: Anadolu

BEIJING: August 4 (RKI): China has introduced its first mandatory national safety standards for advanced autonomous vehicles, with the new regulations scheduled to come into force in July 2027.
Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the rules require manufacturers to establish comprehensive safety systems before deploying Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving technologies on public roads.
The standards call for full-lifecycle safety management covering vehicle design, development, production and post-deployment operations. Automakers must also implement risk assessment systems, simulation tests, closed-course trials and real-world road testing before introducing autonomous driving features.
The move comes as global automobile companies and technology firms compete to expand self-driving technology from testing environments to everyday transportation.
China approved conditional access for two Level 3 autonomous driving vehicle models in 2025, marking an initial step toward wider commercial deployment.
Under the new requirements, manufacturers must ensure vehicles can monitor driver readiness and ability to take control when necessary. Companies will also be required to clearly explain automation levels, operating limits and user responsibilities through manuals, websites and in-vehicle displays.