Huawei Executive Jin Yuzhi Reaffirms L3 as Essential Step Toward Autonomous Driving, Outlines L4 Roadmap

Jin Yuzhi, Senior Vice President of Huawei and CEO of Yinwang, recently reiterated his stance on the evolutionary path of autonomous driving technology, reaffirming that "Level 3 (L3) cannot be skipped." He emphasized that L3 and Level 4 (L4) are not mutually exclusive but represent distinct stages on the journey toward full autonomy. The transition from Level 2 (L2) to L3 is transformative, as it shifts liability from the driver to the provider of the autonomous driving system. This shift necessitates comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks and a period for user adaptation—making this phase indispensable. Addressing external speculation that Yinwang is focusing on L3 due to delays in L4 development, Jin clarified that L4 encompasses two distinct models: To B (e.g., Robotaxi services operating within geofenced pilot zones) and To C (personal-user-oriented, unrestricted autonomous driving). These models differ significantly in safety requirements and technical complexity. Huawei’s Qiankun solution has always targeted true driverless operation for consumer (To C) applications and has already commercially launched its VPD (Valet Parking Pilot) feature—a fully automated parking assistance function for individual users requiring no human intervention. Jin also outlined the industry’s rollout timeline: urban low-speed L4 pilots are expected to begin in 2026; large-scale commercial deployment of L3 is targeted for 2027, alongside initial Robotaxi (L4 To B) pilots in select cities and limited commercial availability of L4 To C in low-speed scenarios; by 2028, partial-city commercialization of Robotaxis, large-scale urban low-speed L4 deployment, pilot programs for full-speed urban L4 in certain cities, and trials of driverless long-haul logistics are anticipated.