Momenta Secures Germany-Wide L4 Autonomous Driving Test Permit—First for a Chinese Company

Momenta has recently received authorization from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to conduct Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving tests on urban roads throughout Germany. This marks the first time a Chinese company has obtained nationwide L4 testing approval covering all urban roads in Germany. The permit allows Momenta to test directly across urban roads nationwide without submitting separate applications for each city, with its safety validation standards aligned with the EU regulatory framework. Level 4 autonomous driving refers to systems that can independently perform all dynamic driving tasks—including acceleration, deceleration, steering, environmental perception, and emergency response—within a specific Operational Design Domain (ODD), such as defined areas, road types, and weather conditions. In the event of system failure, the vehicle executes a minimal-risk strategy (e.g., automatically pulling over and stopping), requiring no human driver intervention throughout the journey; occupants are considered passengers only. Momenta has already established long-term strategic partnerships with leading German automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and the Volkswagen Group, and is collaborating with mobility platforms such as Uber, Grab, Lumo, and SAIC’s Enjoyable Mobility to scale Robotaxi services. KBA is among the world’s most stringent traffic safety regulators, and this authorization is widely seen as recognition of Momenta’s technological maturity and safety standards.