China to Roll Out Mandatory National Standards for L3/L4 Autonomous Driving; BYD, Huawei Among Firms Pre-installing Hardware Ahead of Compliance

On June 16, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published for public comment draft versions of two mandatory national standards (approval drafts), including "Safety Requirements for Automated Driving Systems in Intelligent Connected Vehicles." The comment period runs from June 17 to June 24, 2026. These standards apply to Category M and N vehicles equipped with Level 3 and/or Level 4 automated driving systems, excluding automated parking systems. The standards cover technical requirements for automated driving systems, safety assurance requirements, criteria for determining vehicle type equivalence, as well as corresponding verification methods for safety assurance, safety documentation review, and confirmatory testing. As of May 2026, China has opened over 57,000 kilometers of roads for intelligent connected vehicle testing, issued 237 national and industry standards, initiated 103 standardization projects, and led the development of more than 60 international standards and regulations. Industry insiders expect the relevant regulations to take effect on July 1, 2027, viewing them as a critical prerequisite for the large-scale commercialization of Level 3 autonomous driving. Companies such as BYD and Huawei have already pre-installed necessary hardware in their vehicles and plan to swiftly launch compliant products once the regulations come into force. Meanwhile, safety redundancy and fallback mechanisms for automated driving systems have become key focuses of automotive manufacturers’ R&D efforts.