Pioneering the Future: China's Autonomous Vehicle Journey
Initial Rollout in Key Urban Centers
The MIIT's Monday announcement specified that the two approved entities would initiate their Level 3 autonomous driving evaluations. Changan Automobile's all-electric sedan, bearing the model designation SC7000AAARBEV, and BAIC's Arcfox electric sedan, identified as BJ7001A61NBEV, have been cleared to operate on designated public roadways.
Operational Guidelines and Regional Constraints for Testing
Changan's trials are slated for Chongqing's highway and expressway networks, where vehicles will navigate traffic within a single lane, not exceeding a speed of 50 km/h (approximately 31 miles per hour). Conversely, Arcfox's testing activities are confined to select zones in Beijing, with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h (around 50 miles per hour). The MIIT confirmed that both companies successfully passed the requisite product and safety evaluations.
Pioneering Progress in Chinese Autonomous Technology
This news coincides with remarkable advancements reported by other players in the autonomous driving sector. Companies such as WeRide Inc. and Baidu Inc.'s affiliated robotaxi service, Apollo Go, have demonstrated significant strides in developing self-driving capabilities.
Apollo Go and WeRide: Setting Milestones in Autonomous Mobility
Apollo Go recently surpassed a quarter-million weekly robotaxi rides, accumulating over 140 million miles driven by its autonomous systems. Meanwhile, WeRide has established a collaboration with Uber Technologies Inc. to deploy robotaxi services in Dubai's bustling Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah districts. WeRide had previously initiated robotaxi operations in Abu Dhabi and secured the inaugural robotaxi permit in Switzerland.
Global Leaders in Autonomous Vehicle Development
In parallel, Tesla Inc. has commenced trials of its driverless robotaxis in Austin, aiming to meet CEO Elon Musk's goal for unsupervised autonomous vehicles in the city by year-end. Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo continues to lead the robotaxi industry, reporting 14 million paid autonomous rides in 2025.