Academician Li Jun Stresses Lifespan Safety for Autonomous Vehicles

At the 2026 China Automotive Forum, Li Jun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Vehicle and Mobility, emphasized that the prerequisite for deploying autonomous vehicles on public roads is ensuring safety as the top priority, which requires comprehensive safety assurance throughout the vehicle’s entire lifecycle. He outlined three key shifts that autonomous vehicles face upon entering the market: First, liability shifts from the driver to the vehicle manufacturer and system provider; second, the regulatory approval process changes—while conventional vehicles can be sold once they obtain market access, autonomous vehicles must undergo thorough safety validation before deployment; and third, safety verification can no longer rely solely on compliance at the time of manufacturing but must continuously demonstrate safety throughout the vehicle’s operational life to guarantee end-to-end lifecycle safety.