China's industry ministry says second batch of L3 self-driving access pilots is under way
In short
Guo Shougang, head of the Equipment Industry Department I at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said on 22 October that the second batch of access pilots for L3 automated driving products is under way. He spoke at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference and recalled that Changan and BAIC received conditional access permits in December 2025.
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Guo Shougang, head of the Equipment Industry Department I at China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said that the second batch of access pilots for L3 automated driving products is under way. He made the remarks on 22 October at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference, according to CLS, 36Kr and IT Home. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Guo recalled that in December 2025 two carmakers, Changan and BAIC, received conditional access permits for their L3 automated driving products. He said the ministry will keep strengthening vehicle operation monitoring and safety assurance, and will summarise experience in good time to support the safe operation of intelligent connected vehicle products. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
IT Home gave a fuller account of the speech. It reported that Guo said driver assistance has been applied at scale worldwide and that automated driving is about to enter a commercial promotion stage. In his assessment, global intelligent connected vehicles have entered a new stage in which large-scale rollout of driver assistance and exploration of automated driving run in parallel, and automated driving is at a key period of moving from usable to good to use. [ 3 ]
Guo also said intelligent connected vehicles are speeding up the reshaping of the industry's ecosystem. In his words, cars are no longer only a means of transport but are changing into mobile energy storage units, mobile digital spaces and embodied agents. He said this means intelligent connected vehicles have gone beyond the traditional auto industry and become a service carrier that combines innovative technologies and can keep evolving. [ 3 ]
As background, IT Home noted that in September the ministry and eight other departments set out goals for 2030. They include strengthening the advantages of China's whole intelligent connected new energy vehicle industry chain and entering the ranks of leading automotive countries. New energy passenger cars and commercial vehicles are to reach 70% and 40% of new vehicle sales in their respective segments, and vehicles with automated driving functions are to be applied at scale. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The remarks indicate that the ministry's L3 access pilot programme is continuing beyond its first two permits. The documents give no details on which carmakers are in the second batch or when it will conclude.
Key facts
- Guo Shougang, head of the Equipment Industry Department I at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said the second batch of L3 automated driving product access pilots is under way. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He spoke at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference on 22 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- In December 2025, Changan and BAIC received conditional access permits for their L3 automated driving products. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Guo said the ministry will keep strengthening vehicle operation monitoring and safety assurance and will summarise experience in good time. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- IT Home reported that Guo said driver assistance has reached large-scale use worldwide and automated driving is about to enter a commercial promotion stage. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology official Guo Shougang said at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicle Conference that the second batch of L3 access pilots is under way. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Changan and BAIC received conditional access permits for L3 automated driving products in December 2025, according to Guo. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Which carmakers are in the second batch of L3 access pilots and when it will finish. None of the documents names participants or gives a timetable for the second batch.