On June 27, 2026, the National Standardization Administration of China (SAC) announced the approval of mandatory national standard GB 47955-2026 Intelligent and connected vehicle—Safety requirements of combined driver assistance system (hereinafter referred to as “the ICV Standard”), and it will come into force on January 1, 2027. It is considered by the regulators to fill a critical gap in China's safety baseline for integrated driving assistance systems, and it is expected to provide key technical foundations for industry access, quality supervision, and post-event traceability.

The ICV Standard is considered of significant importance for enhancing the safety level of intelligent connected vehicles in the country, and is formulated under the principle of "urgent needs first". It does not directly adopt any international standards, but the drafting TC (SAC/TC114/SC34 on ICV) aligns relevant contents by referring to international standards such as UN Regulation No 171 – Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) etc.

The scope of this standard covers class M and class N vehicles equipped with basic single-lane combined driver assistance systems, basic multi-lane combined driver assistance systems, and advanced combined driver assistance systems. It establishes corresponding technical requirements, test procedures including track testing, road testing, simulation validation etc., driver monitoring, data recording, and safety management intending to build a comprehensive safety technology framework covering the entire product lifecycle, while balancing technological feasibility, product compatibility, and practical implementation. Its key content includes:

-   Propose specific safety requirements tailored to different product types and technical approaches for the three types of driver assistance systems that this standard stipulates;

-    Establish safety requirements, covering functional requirements, data recording, and vehicle manufacturer safety assurance;

-    Emphasizing the core role of these systems as "assistance" tools, set up requirements for human-machine interaction, user instructions, and driver training to ensure proper coordination between users and the system;

-    Developing a multi-tiered evaluation methodology incorporating track testing, road testing, and document review to comprehensively assess the system’s safety capabilities, in line with actual industry regulatory needs.

 In response to the growing penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) in China and the increasing number of vehicles equipped with driving assistance systems, the country has accelerated the standard formulation for relevant ICV Requirements. Another national standard on ICV named GB/T 41630-2022 Intelligent and connected vehicle — Safety requirements for parking combined driving assistance system is now under revision, (revision standard project no: 20261956-Q-339), and it will become a mandatory standard once approved.

Foreign stakeholders and service providers are advised to review and evaluate the potential impact that the mandatory standard may bring, and take necessary compliant actions to avoid potential risks.