BYD Claims First to Have Chinese L3 Driverless Test License

In response to BMW’s granting of a license in December to test Level 3 autonomous driving technology in China, BYD says it was the first automaker to get such a license back in July.

In a classic case of corporate one-upmanship, the Chinese brand, currently trying to expand in European markets, makes the claim in its official account on the social media site Weibo. Its statement reads: “In July, BYD Group obtained the country's first high-speed highway conditional autonomous driving (L3 level) test license and continued to promote the research and development of intelligent technology to provide users with a safe and reliable smart travel experience.”

BMW announced earlier this month that it had received an extension to its Level 3 testing license to take in more of Shanghai’s road network, while Mercedes-Benz said it would carry out L3 tests on designated highways in Beijing.

Reuters also reports that IM Motors, the battery-electric brand of state-owned Chinese automaker SAIC Motor, wants to benefit from China’s accelerated regulatory approach to driverless technology, saying it is applying to the nation’s industry ministry for product entry of Level 3 cars.