At the 2026 World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC), held from September 22 to 24 in Haikou, Hainan, Wan Gang, Honorary Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and Chairman of the congress, delivered a keynote speech on the rapid advancement of vehicle intelligence.

Wan Gang noted that smart driving technology has become widely adopted across the industry, with the penetration rate of L2-level autonomous driving in domestic vehicles already at a relatively high level. Moving forward, he emphasized that the sector must rely on integrated innovation to build a new engine for industrial transformation and upgrading. As hardware costs for sensors and other components continue to evolve, technological iterations are advancing in tandem with commercial deployment. "Therefore, we need to explore the use of large-scale AI models and other technologies to accelerate empowerment across the automotive industry," he stated.

During the first half of 2026, the penetration rate of L2 assisted driving in new passenger vehicles sold domestically has already surpassed 70%, according to Wan Gang. He projected that by 2030, the adoption of L2-level assisted driving will reach 90%. He also highlighted that higher-level autonomous driving is accelerating its shift from pilot demonstration operations toward large-scale commercial implementation. As of mid-2026, China has opened 57,000 kilometers of test roads, issued 20,000 testing demonstration licenses, and accumulated over 220 million kilometers of cumulative testing mileage.

"Based on current development trends, we forecast that by 2030, the penetration rate of L3 and higher-level autonomous driving will exceed 35%," Wan Gang said. He added that with AI deeply integrated into the automotive sector, it is essential to redesign the functional architecture of intelligent connected new energy vehicles, providing critical support for the sustained evolution of autonomous driving technology.