By Jiahui Huang
Chinese regulators are stepping up efforts to set national standards for autonomous driving, amid growing safety concerns following a fatal accident involving one of Xiaomi's electric vehicles.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a statement late Monday outlining key areas for developing industry standards for 2025. One of the key objectives is to standardize the safety requirements for autonomous driving systems.
Regulators also said they would accelerate the establishment of standards for driver-assistance systems and automatic emergency braking.
The move follows a crash involving a Xiaomi electric vehicle in China late last month, which has prompted public and industry concerns about the safety of driver-assistance systems.
More regulation in the industry will likely make autonomous driving less of a selling point for Chinese automakers this year, said Qu Ke, an analyst at CCB International.
However, the tightening regulatory tone is unlikely to halt technological development in autonomous driving, said Angus Chan, an analyst at BOCOM International. "Industry guidelines would help support and standardize the development [of autonomous driving technology]," he added.
Most Chinese carmakers currently offer Level 2 autonomous-driving features, which still require a human driver to hold the steering wheel and remain alert while the vehicle is in motion.
In mid-April, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a meeting with nearly 60 industry representatives, urging automakers not to exaggerate the capabilities of their self-driving features in marketing materials.
Write to Jiahui Huang at jiahui.huang@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 29, 2025 04:38 ET (08:38 GMT)
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