Level 3 autonomous driving is really coming. A new jointly developed vehicle by Huawei and GAC Group is undergoing high-speed testing, allowing drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel.
The implementation of Level 3 assisted driving is accelerating.
According to a report by CheDongXi on November 19th, just last night, GAC Hyper officially announced that it had recently obtained a license for "Level 3 autonomous driving road tests in specific scenarios" (scenario conditions: the vehicle is driving on the main lane of the designated autonomous driving test expressway, and the speed is ≤ 120 km/h).
▲ GAC Hyper announces obtaining the Level 3 expressway test license
Then this afternoon, GAC Hyper posted a video on social media showing the on-road test of the GAC Hyper A800 at a speed of 120 km/h under Level 3 assisted driving. According to GAC Hyper's introduction, the GAC Hyper A800 is equipped with Huawei's Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4, which meets the Level 3 technical solution.
On September 17th this year, the First Department of Equipment Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice to "publicly solicit opinions on the mandatory national standard of 'Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles'" (hereinafter referred to as the "Requirements"). The "Requirements" clearly define the classification of combined driving assistance systems. The Level 3 assisted driving system (Level 3 driving automation system) is defined as a conditional autonomous driving system, allowing users to completely disengage from driving tasks in specific scenarios.
Currently, the development of Level 3 assisted driving has significantly accelerated, with rapid progress in both regulations and large-scale commercialization.
01.
Activate Level 3 via the button on the central control screen
The driver can take hands off the steering wheel
According to a post on social media by GAC Hyper, the company recently obtained a license for "Level 3 autonomous driving road tests in specific scenarios" (scenario conditions: the vehicle is driving on the main lane of the designated autonomous driving test expressway, and the speed is ≤ 120 km/h), becoming the first automaker in the country to be approved for a Level 3 test license with a maximum speed of 120 km/h.
▲ GAC Hyper's post on social media
The test vehicle of GAC Hyper this time is the GAC Hyper A800, a sedan jointly developed by GAC and Huawei. According to GAC Hyper's introduction, it is equipped with Huawei's Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4, which meets the Level 3 technical solution.
This technical solution includes all-round safety technologies such as intelligent chassis safety, active and passive integrated safety, and battery safety, as well as a dedicated expressway Level 3 solution empowered by Huawei's Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4. The whole vehicle has a redundant design of eight major systems, including computing, communication, power supply, steering, positioning, perception, braking, and parking. It is equipped with a total of 34 high-precision perception sensors, including 4D millimeter-wave radars, high-definition cameras, high-beam lidars, and high-precision solid-state lidars.
In addition, GAC Hyper mentioned that the GAC Hyper A800 equipped with Level 3 assisted driving technology will be unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 21st.
Also this afternoon, GAC Hyper posted a video on social media showing the on-road test of the GAC Hyper A800 at a speed of 120 km/h under Level 3 assisted driving. According to Wang Daihan, the person in charge of GAC Group's Level 3 autonomous driving access, the GAC Hyper A800 has obtained a Level 3 autonomous driving test license for open roads in Guangzhou, with a maximum test speed of 120 km/h on open roads.
▲ The GAC Hyper A800 obtains the Level 3 autonomous driving test license for open roads in Guangzhou
In the video, it can be seen that a GAC Hyper A800 is driving on the G0425 Guangzhou-Aozhou Expressway. A button showing "L3" appears on the central control screen. After clicking it, it shows "Level 3 autonomous driving activated", and then the driver takes hands off the steering wheel.
▲ The GAC Hyper A800 tests Level 3 autonomous driving
02.
The development of Level 3 assisted driving is accelerating
Regulations and commercialization are advancing rapidly
Since entering 2025, the development of Level 3 assisted driving has significantly accelerated, with rapid progress in both regulations and large-scale commercialization.
As early as April 22nd this year, Jin Yuzhi, the CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit, officially released Huawei's latest intelligent assisted driving system, ADS 4, at the Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Technology Conference. The Ultra flagship version includes functions such as expressway Level 3, and Jin Yuzhi also announced that expressway Level 3 will be commercially available on a large scale.
▲ The four versions of Huawei's ADS 4
In terms of policies and regulations, on September 13th, eight departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration issued a notice on the "Work Plan for Stabilizing the Growth of the Automobile Industry (2025 - 2026)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice").
▲ The eight departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issue the "Notice"
The "Notice" mentioned that it will promote the pilot project of intelligent connected vehicle access and on-road driving, conditionally approve the production access of Level 3 models, and promote the improvement of laws and regulations on road traffic safety and insurance.
Then on September 17th, the First Department of Equipment Industry of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice to "publicly solicit opinions on the mandatory national standard of 'Safety Requirements for Combined Driving Assistance Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles'" (hereinafter referred to as the "Requirements"). The "Requirements" clearly define the classification of combined driving assistance systems, and different levels have different safety requirements.
▲ The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology publicly solicits opinions on the mandatory national standard of the "Requirements"
The First Department of Equipment Industry also issued an official interpretation of the "Requirements", giving the classification and definition of assisted driving and autonomous driving systems. The definition of the Level 3 assisted driving system (Level 3 driving automation system) is: a conditional autonomous driving system. Within the designed operating conditions, the system can achieve autonomous driving, allowing users to completely disengage from driving tasks in specific scenarios, but users need to maintain the ability to take over and handle special situations in a timely manner.
On November 9th, Li Wenguang, the president of the Inceptio Technology intelligent driving product line, publicly stated that it is expected that expressway Level 3 will be commercially available on a large scale and urban Level 4 will be piloted commercially in 2026, urban Level 4 will be commercially available on a large scale and unmanned trunk logistics will be piloted in 2027, and unmanned trunk logistics will be commercially available in 2028.
▲ Inceptio Technology's prediction of the implementation rhythm of autonomous driving in China
03.
Conclusion: The implementation of Level 3 assisted driving is accelerating
With the standardization of assisted driving systems, the assisted driving industry in China is developing steadily and orderly, and automakers are also gearing up.
The implementation of Level 3 assisted driving will not only change the way of driving but also redefine the relationship between people and vehicles.
With the gradual clarification of regulations and the attempt of large-scale commercialization, the implementation of Level 3 assisted driving will further accelerate.
This article is from the WeChat official account "CheDongXi". Author: R, Editor: Zhihao. Republished by 36Kr with permission.