It will be implemented starting from July next year! China's first mandatory national standard for L3/L4 level autonomous driving is coming!

According to the information on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the compilation work of the mandatory national standard "Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles" (the draft for approval) (hereinafter referred to as the "Standard") has been completed. The draft for approval of the standard and the compilation explanation were publicly displayed from June 17th to 24th, 2026. The suggested implementation date is July 1st, 2027.

As China's first mandatory national standard specifically targeting L3 level conditional autonomous driving systems and L4 level highly autonomous driving systems, this "Standard" is applicable to M and N category vehicles equipped with 3-level and/or 4-level driving automation systems, but not to automatic parking systems.

The "Standards" have established a safety record verification mechanism, requiring enterprises to clearly define the system's capability boundaries through safety statements, logical arguments, and measured data. They also incorporate simulation, site testing, and road vehicle testing into a unified verification system, thereby forming a traceable and closed-loop safety verification chain.

The standard clearly stipulates that the safety level of the ADS (Autonomous Driving System) should at least match that of a qualified and focused driver who is currently undertaking the driving task. It must not pose unreasonable safety risks to users and other road users, and it must perform all dynamic driving tasks while activated, and at the same time, it should be able to identify whether it is within the designed operating conditions (ODC).

For different levels, the "Standards" have set differentiated control requirements:

For L3 autonomous driving, the human-machine interaction aspect has been emphasized. ADS should continuously assess whether the backup user (the driver) has the ability to take over, and independently confirm through at least two effective indicators that the backup user has the ability to execute DDT (dynamic driving task) within the previous time period (no more than 30 seconds). When the backup user does not fasten the seat belt or does not sit in the driver's seat for more than 1 second, ADS should issue an intervention request. In addition, L3 autonomous driving should at least have the capabilities of lane cruise, lane change control, and intersection (except roundabouts) passage.

For L4-level autonomous driving, the new national standard emphasizes the system's own risk handling capabilities. ADS should not rely on remote assistance to perform dynamic driving tasks; it should still complete all dynamic driving tasks independently during the remote assistance process. It should at least have the ability to cruise in lanes, control lane changes, and partially or fully enter adjacent lanes to bypass obstacles ahead; or it should at least have the capabilities of cruise in lanes, control lane changes, passage at intersections (except roundabouts), partial or full entry into adjacent lanes for bypassing obstacles ahead, reversing, and turning around. In addition, the new national standard introduces the internationally recognized Safety Case mechanism for safety records, requiring all automakers that launch L3/L4 models to prepare a complete and structured safety record that comprehensively proves that ADS complies with relevant technical requirements and does not pose unreasonable risks to users and other road users.

The "Standards" are planned to come into effect on July 1, 2027, and a one-year transition period will be set: For new vehicle type approval applications, the standards will be implemented from the date of implementation; for vehicle type approval already granted, the standards will be implemented starting from the 13th month after the implementation date.