Shanghai aims to have 70 percent of cars produced with L2 semi-autonomous capability
Shaun · Sep 15, 2022 09:13 AM
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The Shanghai Municipal Government has released a plan that proposes more than 70 percent of vehicles produced by 2025 to have level 2 and level 3 semi-autonomous driving capability, while level 4 should be available in some scenarios, reports South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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The report highlighted that “intelligent cars” with autonomous driving technology and its industry has the potential to yield 500 billion yuan (RM 325 billion) in economic value by 2025.
Currently, most of the cars with semi-autonomous driving feature in China are categorised as level 2 or somewhere in between level 2 and 3. The difference between level 2 and 3 is the requirement for drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel.
Whereas the systems in level 2 will prompt drivers hold the steering wheel, the level 3 system allows for a completely hands-off scenario.
The challenge for level 3 systems isn’t the technology itself, but laws and regulations around the world. If a car with level 3 semi-autonomous driving gets into an accident, who is responsible – the driver or the car?
Amongst the first cities in China to regulate the use of “intelligent cars” is Shenzhen. The regulation states that the driver will be responsible for any traffic offences and liabilities if they in the vehicle. As for most parts of the world, there’s still no regulation for level 3 semi-autonomous driving.
On the manufacturer’s side, only Honda and Mercedes-Benz have received legal approval in their respective home countries for level 3 cars. Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz said that the company will bear responsibility if things do go wrong when the system is activated, but regulations will likely take precedent.
Founder of CnEVpost, Phate Zhang, said, “The autonomous driving systems that are being developed by carmakers and technology firms now are all preliminary technologies, and the industry size can grow to trillions of yuan when L4 and L5 autonomous driving become a near certainty over the next decade.”
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