China's first L3 self-driving car debuts in Chongqing

An autonomously-driving car with the license plate Yu AD0001Z hits the road in Chongqing Municipal, Dec. 24, 2025. (Photo: China News Service/He Peng Lei)

China's first license plate for Level-3 autonomous driving was granted recently to China Changan Auto Group, a car manufacturer based in Southwest China's Chongqing, marking a landmark development for the country's automotive sector.

Autonomous driving is categorized into six levels, from Level-0 to Level-5, with increasing technological sophistication. Level-3, or "conditionally automated driving", allows vehicles to perform automated dynamic driving tasks while requiring a human driver to remain available to take control when requested.

Earlier, on Dec. 15, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology granted road approval for two electric sedan models equipped with Level-3 autonomous driving capabilities, marking the first time that such vehicles have been permitted on public roads.