On June 4, 2024, four national ministries of China, namely the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD), and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced the first batch of ICV product list and their on-road traffic pilot areas, together with an FAQ that elaborates details on application procedure, applying approach, next steps and the next batch. It would be very useful for MNCs and stakeholders to explore the way to understand and seek for possible participation of the ICV pilot testing program.  BESTAO has translated the main FAQ contents as below:

For more basic and background information, please visit: 

https://www.bestao-consulting.com/detail?id=1686&status=china_compliance

What is the application process and selection process of the pilot?

Application process

Automotive manufacturers and the main vehicle using entity (the one who actually uses and carry out the ICV test) shall pair into a consortium. The consortium will formulate an application plan in accordance with requirements stated in the Guidelines of Implementing the Pilot Program of Access and On-road Traffic of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (hereinafter referred to “the Guidelines). After the application plan is approved by the municipal government (including districts under the jurisdiction of the municipality directly under the Central Government) where the ICV pilot shall carry out, the application plan should be voluntarily submitted to the provincial industrial and information authorities for approval. When the application plan is reviewed and approved on the provincial level, the provincial regulator shall submit it to MIIT for the final evaluation.

The selection process.

After receiving the application plan approved by the provincial level, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD), and the Ministry of Transport (MOT) (hereinafter referred to as the "four ministries") should organize experts for preliminary and merit-based review based on the requirements elaborated in the Notice of Implementing the Pilot Program of Access and On-road Traffic of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (hereinafter referred to “the Notice”)

During the application process, relevant pilot guidelines should be provided and publicized to the automotive manufacturers.

In the preliminary review, technical experts are organized to evaluate the consortium’s application plan, focusing on ensuring that no shortboard or missing items remained before entering the merit-based review.

In the merit-based review, the preliminary review comments should be provided to the applying consortium, as well as presenting them the defense outline for the merit-based review. An expert group composed of academicians and well-known experts of the sector should be organized to evaluate the comprehensive capabilities of the consortium, product testing and safety assessment schemes, the city conditions for the vehicle to be operated, safety control measures and the expected effects of the pilot. The expert group will independently evaluate the defense of the consortium and their response to the question.

The first batch of manufacturers are determined after fulfilling the corresponding procedures by the four ministries according to the overall opinions of experts, consideration of the product category, the characteristics of the vehicle operation city, the declared automatic driving function, the corporate test demonstration basis, etc. 

For the "consortiums that enter the pilot", with the approval by the four ministries does it mean that ICVs with automatic driving functions are allowed to pass on the road?

The organization and implementation of the pilot is divided into five stages: pilot application, pilot on product access, pilot on road traffic access, pilot suspension and withdrawal, evaluation and adjustment.

At present, only the selection of the pilot application stage is completed, and it does not mean that ICV with autonomous driving functions have obtained access permits or are allowed on the road. Next, the four ministries will guide the consortiums that enter the pilot program to carry out the pilot implementation.

For specific implementation work, the first is the pilot on product access, including product access testing and security assessment, product access licensing. The automotive manufacturers that has entered the pilot program shall refine and improve the product access test and safety assessment program. Then after gaining confirmation by MIIT and MPS, the manufacturers should carry out product access product testing and safety assessment under the supervision of the provincial competent regulators and the municipal government departments of the cities where the vehicles are operated.

After automobile manufacturers pass the product access test and safety assessment, and the products meet the mandatory inspection requirements of road motor vehicle products, they will submit an application for product access to MIIT for product access. After MIIT’s acceptance, review and publicity, a decision shall be made on whether to enter the market. Where access is granted, restrictive measures such as the validity period of access and the implementation area shall be set.

The ICV products that have obtained access shall be registered by the traffic management department in accordance with the law, and the pilot road passage shall be carried out in the restricted area. Those engaged in transportation operations shall also have the operation qualification of the corresponding business category and meet the operation management requirements. The main using entities, automotive manufacturers and the government departments of the cities where the vehicles are running should do a good job of emergency handling according to relevant requirements. 

After the first batch of application, what are the procedures and when there is a subsequent pilot declaration demand?

In this round of application, automotive manufacturers responded positively, but some automotive manufacturers with a certain technical basis did not.

Automotive manufacturers and main using entities that have not applied or entered the pilot can refer to the Guidelines to further strengthen capacity construction, improve product functions and performance levels. They can voluntarily apply for the provincial industrial and information technology authorities in accordance with the pilot application process. Provincial industrial and information technology authorities may, according to several elements (such as: the intelligent network vehicle technology and industrial development, pilot implementation and joint declaration etc.), supplement the application plan to MIIT.

What are the expected results of the pilot work?

The first is to guide the ICV manufacturers and users to strengthen capacity building, and systematically promote the technological innovation, large-scale development and industrial ecological construction of intelligent connected automobile products.

Secondly, based on pilot demonstration, accelerate the formation of systematic, pragmatic and efficient laws and regulations, management policies and standard systems; accelerate the construction of ICV testing and verification, safety assessment and other supporting capabilities, and lay a solid foundation for the large-scale promotion and application of ICVs.

Thirdly, speed up the formation of a safety management mechanism for horizontal coordination and vertical linkage between various regulators and localities; explore more systematic and complete environmental construction such as the research and development and production of ICV products, supporting policies for road traffic, and infrastructure, so as to provide support and guarantee for the safe operation of ICV products.

Fourthly, accelerate the mass production and application of ICV products through pilot; foster the integration of automobile and new energy, artificial intelligence, information and communication industries; create new quality productivity, and help the high-quality development of intelligent connected new energy vehicles. 

What is the relationship between the L3 test license obtained before and this pilot?

Previously, according to the Administrative Rules for the Road Testing and Demonstrative Application of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (for Trial Implementation) (issued by the MIIT, MPS and MOT on July 27, 2021), the corresponding test license obtained by the enterprises are mainly used in the product research and development process, such as carrying out actual road tests, verifying the safety of the product in the actual road traffic operating environment. Adequate product development, testing and verification is an important basis for the mass production and application of subsequent products, and is also an important basis for this pilot.

According to the Opinions on Strengthening the Management of Intelligent Connected Vehicle Manufacturers and Product Access (issued by MIIT on July 30, 2021) and the requirements of the Notice, ICV products with automatic driving function should meet the testing and verification requirements of simulation, closed site, actual road, etc., among which, actual road testing is one of the important pillars of product automatic driving system safety testing and verification. For the consortium that has entered the pilot program, the manufacturer needs to further develop and improve product access testing and safety assessment plans in detail, and carry out testing and safety assessment as required under the supervision of multiple parties. 

What is the difference between the product access test and the safety assessment plan and the application plan?

The application plan is where the consortium explain the fulfillment of the conditions listed the Guidelines (such as the manufacturers and products, the use of the main body, the city where the vehicle is running, and provide certification materials, the pilot declaration stage) in accordance with the requirements of the Notice.  It is mainly from the perspective of research and development, and it is the basis for the pilot program application and selection.

In the pilot of product access, automotive manufacturers need to further combine the requirements of the Guidelines and expert review opinions to formulate and improve the testing and safety assessment plan in detail. After being confirmed by MIIT and MPS, product access testing and safety assessment will be carried out under the supervision of provincial competent departments and municipal government departments. MIIT has entrusted technical service agencies to carry out tracking and technical assessment of product access testing and safety assessment, and has introduced safety monitoring and reporting systems. Product access test and safety assessment plan and implementation results will be used as product access application materials. 

What is the difference between the access and on road traffic pilot program and the " Vehicle-Road-Cloud Integration" pilot?

The access and on road traffic pilot shall be voluntarily declared by a consortium of automotive manufacturer and main using entity. The selection of qualified ICV products is a way to carry out access and on road traffic pilot program. The goal of the pilot program is to guide the ICV manufacturers and using entities to strengthen capacity building, and to promote the function and performance improvement of products. It also aims at accumulating management experience based on pilot demonstration, support the revision of relevant laws and regulations and technical standards, and accelerate the improvement of ICV production access and road traffic safety management system.

In the meantime, the pilot program shall also coordinate overall development and safety, and will enabling the effectively respond to the risks that may be brought about by the application of autonomous driving technology, as well as promoting the high-quality development of the intelligent networked new energy vehicle industry.

The pilot of "Vehicle-road-cloud integration" are mainly for city applicants. It aims to carry out the construction of intelligent roadside infrastructure and cloud control infrastructure platform, form a unified technical standard and test and evaluation system for vehicle-road collaboration, improve road traffic safety assurance capabilities, and promote large-scale demonstration applications and exploration of new business models. 

If you have any question or need more information on the topic, please contact: info@bestao-consulting.com.