China's autonomous driving industry has entered a new phase of accelerated development, as the country approved two cars with level-3 autonomous driving capabilities, marking the first time that such vehicles have been cleared by the national regulator as authorized products nearly ready for mass adoption.

The move, regarded by industry insiders and experts as forward-looking yet cautious, is expected to significantly advance intelligent driving in the world's largest automotive market while still prioritizing safety.

The permits were awarded to models developed by automakers Changan Automobile and BAIC Motor's Arcfox, according to a statement released on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The Changan vehicle is capable of single-lane autonomous driving at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour during traffic congestion. It is approved to operate on select highway and urban expressway sections in Southwest China's Chongqing, according to the ministry.

The Arcfox vehicle is capable of single-lane autonomous driving at speeds of up to 80 km/h on designated highway and urban expressway sections in Beijing.

Next, the two vehicle models will be piloted by the automakers for road use on the designated roads, MIIT added.

Sun Hang, chief engineer of the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, said, "The approval of the first L3 models means that for the first time, China has allowed autonomous vehicles to enter the market as formal products at the policy level.

"We are exploring commercial application through pilots, which is a landmark in itself," Sun said.

In China, driving automation is defined by six levels, from 0 to 5, with L0 meaning that such vehicles are entirely operated by humans. Levels 1 and 2 are considered driver-assistance systems, in which the human driver remains perpetually responsible for monitoring the environment and must be ready to intervene instantly, according to MIIT.

Liu Fawang, deputy head of the ministry's Equipment Industry Development Center, said that L3, or "conditional automation", is the pivotal threshold. The vehicle itself can perform dynamic driving tasks such as steering, acceleration and braking under specific conditions, and the driver is not required to monitor the road continuously, but only to respond when the system requests intervention.

"The shift to L3 formally enters the realm of automated driving where the responsibility for the driving task can be allocated among the driver, the car manufacturer and the system supplier. This represents a monumental shift from the unequivocal driver liability associated with L1 and L2 cars," Liu added.

Fu Bingfeng, secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said, "The move means that China's autonomous vehicle sector is accelerating from the 'technical validation' phase into a new stage of 'mass production and application'.

"This progression is not merely a reflection of technological maturation, but also a vivid example of the nation's coordinated strategy to balance high-quality development with high-level safety," Fu added.

Sun, from the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, said: "The pilot is designed to better ensure the safety of drivers and passengers. It reflects an overarching philosophy of prioritizing safety and advancing step-by-step, starting with low-risk, limited-scenario trials before considering broader application.

"While the full integration of autonomous driving into daily life still requires time, this step clearly indicates that autonomous driving technology is one step closer to us," Sun added.

The move came after China established a comprehensive industrial system for intelligent connected vehicles, with more than 60 percent of new passenger cars now equipped with combined driver-assist functions, or L2 systems, according to the ministry.

The ministry also said the application channel for the L3 pilot remains open and will proceed in an orderly manner under the principle of "approving one model as soon as it matures".

masi@chinadaily.com.cn