China Pumps Breaks on Plans to Mass Produce Self-Driving Cars

China appears to be slowing the rollout of self-driving cars following a fatal crash involving assisted-driving technology.

The New York Times reports that last week, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) approved only two of the nine proposals submitted by carmakers to sell more advanced self-driving vehicles.

Even then, the approvals essentially only allow for additional testing.

The ministry gave the green light to Beijing Automotive Group and Changan Automobile to operate robotaxis on just three designated stretches of highway each in Beijing and Chongqing, where the companies are headquartered, respectively.

The rules are strict. The vehicles are prohibited from changing lanes while a computer is in control, and outside the approved highway stretches, a human driver is required to take over.

Those limited approvals signal a delay in China’s ambitions to sell and mass-produce fully self-driving cars.

According to The New York Times, several Chinese automakers had expected regulators to approve the sale of so-called Level 3 vehicles this year. Level 3 systems require a human to remain in the driver’s seat and be ready to take control, but do not require the driver to keep their hands on the steering wheel. By comparison, Level 2 systems can assist with steering but still require hands-on driving, while Level 5 is the highest stage of self-driving tech and requires no human intervention at all. 

Manufacturers were so confident that approvals were coming that some began mass-producing cars equipped with the cameras and hardware needed for Level 3 systems. Now, those vehicles are expected to be sold with downgraded Level 2 software instead.

The pause in China’s self-driving push comes after a crash in March that killed three university students.

A Xiaomi SU7 was traveling at about 72 miles per hour with its assisted-driving system engaged when it detected a lane closure due to construction. The car issued an audible warning about obstacles ahead. The driver took control, but the vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier roughly one second later.

After the crash, officials in the country later banned car companies from using claims such as “smart driving” or “autonomous driving” in the marketing of cars equipped with assisted-driving tech.

Public concern has also grown after state media reported that self-driving systems developed by Chinese companies lag behind Tesla in safety.

In tests of 36 vehicles equipped with Level 2 systems, fewer than half were able to successfully avoid a crash when driving near trucks at construction sites at night.

By contrast, the two Tesla vehicles included in the tests reportedly performed well across a range of scenarios