PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 2027363
PUBLISHER: ResearchInChina | PRODUCT CODE: 2027363
Intelligent Driving Standards and Certification: With the Maturing Standardization System, China Will Participate in Formulation of Global Standards
With the popularization of L2 driver assistance systems and the implementation of L3 autonomous driving, relevant mandatory/recommended national standards and testing & evaluation systems are being established at a faster pace, setting a safety bottom line and providing technical guidelines for the development of the intelligent vehicle industry. Meanwhile, the automotive electronic and electrical architecture (EEA) is undergoing a transformation to domain-centralized and central computing + zone control. As the core driver of EEA, intelligence requires more efficient data interconnection and collaborative control among domains.
China has established a complete standard system covering functional safety, cybersecurity, software updates, and data recording, with some standards being the strictest and most comprehensive globally. China leads the formulation of national standards globally: Chinese experts hold key positions (e.g., co-chairman of the autonomous driving working group) in the UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and has led the formulation of multiple international standards on autonomous driving scenarios, functional safety, and in-vehicle communication, promoting Chinese standards to become global consensus. This report analyzes the system composition, implementation standards, and intelligent development trends of five core domains of Chinese intelligent vehicles.
The global intelligent driving standards and certification during 2025-2026 feature strict regulation, emphasis on safety, and promotion of compliance:
1. From Recommended National Standards to Mandatory National Standards: UN R171-DCAS has been mandatorily adopted in EU certification; the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT) has issued the mandatory national standard Intelligent Connected Vehicles - Safety Requirements for Combined Driver Assistance System (draft for approval), scheduled to be officially implemented on January 1, 2027. This marks that L2 driver assistance systems have a mandatory safety access threshold, no longer defined by automakers themselves.
2. L3 Commercialization Drives Standard Formulation: 2026 is the first year of mass production of L3 in China. The MIIT has announced the access licenses for the first batch of L3 conditionally autonomous vehicle models, but with strict restrictions (specific ODD). In terms of standard formulation, the Chinese Association of Automation has issued two series of standards: Cooperative Intelligent Connected Vehicle Based on Advanced Mobile Communication and Autonomous Driving on Complex Roads, aiming to break down information barriers between "vehicles, roads, and clouds" and provide technical compliance for the safe operation of autonomous driving in complex real-world scenarios.
3. Certification System Deepens into Full-Lifecycle Management: Management system certifications for cybersecurity (CSMS) and software updates (SUMS) have become mandatory prerequisites for access in the EU and China. The focus of certification has expanded from one-time product testing to long-term inspection of manufacturers' continuous risk management capabilities, data compliance, and in-service monitoring.
4. Data Security Has Become a Non-Technical Barrier: Chinese standards such as GB 44495 clearly require in-country data storage, encryption, and restrictions on cross-border transmission. The EU GDPR also imposes similar pressures. Data compliance has become a new high wall that intelligent vehicles must cross to go overseas.
In the global high-level intelligent driving field, a development pattern has formed where the vehicle-road-cloud integration solution represented by China and the vehicle intelligence route led by Europe and the United States run in parallel. The two routes will coexist and integrate with each other for a long time in the next 5-10 years, forming advantages in different scenarios and technical routes.
1.China - Mandatory National Standards + Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration
In accordance with policy documents such as the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Network Technology Roadmap (2025-2030) and MIIT's 15th Five-Year Plan, China is gradually having a say in the formulation of global high-level intelligent vehicle standards through the route of mandatory national standards + vehicle-road-cloud integration. Future technical standards and industrial ecosystems will revolve around the in-depth integration of smart vehicles + smart roads + powerful clouds, making up for the limitations of single-vehicle perception through vehicle-infrastructure cooperation and improving overall safety and efficiency.
Technical Architecture: Vehicles connect with roadside perception devices (e.g., LiDAR and cameras) and cloud platforms via C-V2X, 5G and other communication technologies. Roadside facilities provide over-the-horizon perception information (e.g., pedestrians at intersection blind spots, and accidents ahead), and cloud platforms conduct global traffic scheduling and AI large model training to provide decision support for vehicles.
Market Development Status: China has a bigger edge in mass production and penetration rate of L2-L3 driver assistance systems and large-scale demonstration of "vehicle-road-cloud integration". Led by the government, national application pilot projects have been launched in 20 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing. Infrastructure construction leads the world. Urban NOA functions of enterprises such as Huawei and Xpeng have covered complex road conditions, demonstrating strong scenario adaptability.
2.EU - Mandatory Access + Vehicle Intelligence
The EU has built a complete and mandatory regulatory system for intelligent vehicles, covering L1/L2 (EU) (2021/646) -> L3 (UN R157) -> L4/L5 ((EU) 2022/1426 and (EU) 2026/481).
The EU has built technical barriers through stringent standards and regulatory access, temporarily leading in regulatory certification for L2+ vehicle intelligence (L2 driver assistance system - UN R171, Automated Valet Parking (AVP) - EU 2026/481, Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) - UN R157, etc.). However, restricted by over-regulation and insufficient ecosystem openness, it has shown a backward trend in AI innovation and product updates.
Technical Architecture: Rely on vehicles' own high-performance sensor arrays (e.g., multi-camera, multi-channel LiDAR, and radar) and high-compute computing platforms to complete all perception, decision and control locally. V2X communication is often regarded as an optional enhancement function rather than a necessity.
3.United States - Technology Giants Lead Vehicle Intelligence
The advantages of the United States in autonomous driving are rooted in its strong technological innovation capabilities and capital market, and its development path is mainly led by technology giants. Represented by Waymo and Tesla, it adheres to vehicle intelligence as the leading direction, and pursues the ultimate perception and decision capabilities of a vehicle itself, without relying on external infrastructure, striving to achieve autonomous driving anywhere.
Regulatory Path: The US government upholds "technology neutrality", and temporarily does not establish special federal regulations for autonomous driving, but continuously revises FMVSS to adapt to innovative designs, and relies on market forces and state-level supervision to maintain system flexibility.
Traditional European and American automakers are relatively lagging behind in intelligent transformation. To remain competitive, they have begun to actively seek mutual recognition and docking with Chinese standards and technologies:
Technical Cooperation: Automakers like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have built in-depth cooperation with Chinese intelligent driving enterprises (Horizon Robotics, ThunderSoft, etc.), and some directly adopt intelligent driving system technical solutions from Chinese intelligent driving Tier 1 suppliers.
Mutual Standard Recognition: To promote implementation of intelligent driving technology, European and American automakers tend to support equipment compatible with Chinese C-V2X standards. At present, the United States and other countries have begun to test roadside equipment compatible with Chinese standards, clearing away obstacles for technological globalization.
In March 2026, Oliver Zipse, Global CEO of BMW Group, announced at the 2026 financial meeting that BMW will temporarily lower the R&D priority of the L3 autonomous driving project as the technology has not yet achieved commercial profitability. The facelifted 7 Series model planned to be launched in April 2026 will no longer be equipped with the Personal Pilot L3 autonomous driving system. Mercedes-Benz has made a similar decision, canceling the optional L3 autonomous driving configuration on the new models of the flagship S-Class and EQS. At the same time, technology-oriented companies such as Xpeng, Baidu, and Tesla clearly advocate skipping L3 and directly reaching L4, ending transitional solutions with full-scenario intelligent driving.
The market belief is that the two routes will run in parallel for 2 to 3 years, and the final winner will be determined by technological maturity, cost reduction speed and user acceptance.
Progressive Camp (L2->L3->L4): Represented by most mainstream Chinese automakers (e.g., Voyah, GAC, Geely) and some international manufacturers, believing that L3 is a necessary technological, regulatory and commercial transition stage.
Skipping Camp (L2 Directly to L4): Represented by Xpeng, Tesla and some technology companies, believing that the L3 "human-machine co-driving" model has high cost, offers poor experience and is difficult to determinate liability, making it a thing of little value or interest. With breakthroughs in AI technologies such as end-to-end large models, full-scenario L4 can be directly realized. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have announced they will cut or suspension L3 project investment.
The game of automakers on the L3 autonomous driving technology route will dilute the influence of L3 autonomous driving and directly affect the formulation of standards related to L3 autonomous driving functions/systems. China's prudent promotion model that pilot projects go first, legislation follows up, and standards solidify provides a global model for balancing rapid technological iteration and safety control by virtue of its huge market, leading technological application and active international participation.
Global and China Intelligent Vehicle Standards and Certification System - Framework
Global Mandatory Technical Standard Systems for Intelligent Vehicles - Development Trends
Global and China Intelligent Vehicle Certification Systems - Development Trends