China gives the green light for the first time on its roads to Level 3 autonomous driving

The Chinese carmakers BAIC and Changan have just made history by becoming the first to obtain authorisation from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, better known by its acronym MIIT, to use Level 3 autonomous driving systems. This means drivers will be able to stop paying attention to the road, although they must be ready to take back control of the vehicle within a short period of time.

The models that have received this authorisation are the Deepal SL03, from Changan, and the Arcfox Alpha S, from BAIC. This national approval allows both vehicles to use these highly automated driving systems, although their use is initially restricted to specific areas and particular conditions.

In the case of the Deepal SL03, the Level 3 system can be activated on predetermined stretches in Chongqing, both on urban roads and motorways, especially in congested traffic situations and on a single lane, with maximum speeds of 50 km/h. Under these circumstances, the driver can let go of the steering wheel and take their eyes off the road.

For its part, the Arcfox Alpha S is permitted to operate in automated mode on motorways and urban expressways in Beijing, also on a single lane and up to 80 km/h.

China is moving in the right direction

These authorisations represent a significant advance in favour of the development of advanced autonomous driving systems and open the door to future expansion to other cities in the country, although each new location will require additional local permits.

Implementing Level 3 autonomous driving means the vehicle takes full control of driving in specific scenarios, allowing the driver to carry out other activities, such as checking messages received on their mobile device. In any case, as already mentioned, the driver must be prepared to take back control within a few seconds if the system requests it.

Although Level 3 autonomous driving systems will become increasingly common in private and fleet vehicles in the coming years, Level 4 — which allows fully autonomous driving in delimited areas without the need for a driver — represents the next major leap. Level 5, on the other hand, with total autonomy without geographic or speed restrictions, remains nonetheless a distant goal.