BMW has been permitted to test vehicles with self-driving features in Shanghai, becoming the second international automaker after GM to receive the permit in the city.
(Image credit: BMW)
German luxury carmaker BMW has been authorized to test vehicles with self-driving features in Shanghai, becoming the second international automaker after General Motors to receive such a permit in the eastern Chinese city.
BMW's L3 self-driving vehicles have been given permits to test on designated highways and expressways in Shanghai, the automaker announced today.
BMW will launch products with L3 autonomous driving features at the right time to meet Chinese consumers' demand for advanced intelligent driving, it said.
BMW's China R&D team is actively carrying out localized research and development of the L3 autonomous driving function, and is fully prepared for the future adaptation and application of the function in China, it said.
The upcoming new China-made BMW 5 Series long wheelbase edition is technically capable of being upgraded to L3 autonomous driving, BMW said.
BMW has previously been certified and approved in Germany for the L3 autonomous driving feature, with deliveries of BMW models equipped with the feature due to take place in Germany in the spring of 2024, it said.
Prior to BMW, US auto giant GM announced in August that it had received permission in Shanghai to conduct L4 self-driving road tests in designated areas.
The first phase of that test is scheduled for one year, and Cadillac Lyriq test vehicles will operate in Shanghai's Jinqiao area, according to an August 24 statement.
The GM China team worked with startup Momenta to create a self-driving solution for the Chinese market.
Several Chinese government departments jointly issued a notice last month allowing cars supporting L3 and L4 autonomous driving to conduct road tests on a pilot basis, and clarifying for the first time the determination of responsibility for accidents.
This has rekindled many people's expectations about Tesla's introduction of FSD (Full Self-Driving) into China.
On November 24, local media China Fund News quoted Tesla as saying that the work of introducing FSD to China was indeed in progress.
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