Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD has obtained a conditional testing license for level 3 (L3) autonomous driving on high-speed roads.
BYD was granted the first such license in China in July, the company said in a statement on its official Weibo account on Wednesday.
Earlier in December, BMW Group said it had received a test license for L3 self-driving on high-speed roads in Shanghai.
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Mercedes Benz also said it would carry out L3 tests on designated highways in Beijing.
IM Motors, the EV brand of state-owned Chinese automaker SAIC Motor, has said it is also applying to China’s industry ministry for product entry of L3 cars.
There are different levels of automation, from levels 0 to 5, according to the Society of Automotive Engineers and most automakers.
Level 3, also known as conditional driving automation, involves automated features which allow drivers to engage in activities behind the wheel, such as watching movies or using smartphones – but under limited conditions – while their car navigates expressway traffic.
Levels 0 to 2 involve driver support features such as automated braking systems and lane departure warnings that need to be supervised by a driver. Liability for vehicle behaviour rests with the car owner rather than the manufacturer.
A level 5 vehicle, on the other hand, is fully autonomous and can navigate roads without any human attention in all conditions.
- Reuters, with additional editing by Vishakha Saxena
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