The world’s first global technical regulation on automated driving systems has been formally approved, marking a major step toward a unified framework for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies across the globe. The regulation, known as ADS GTR, was jointly formulated by China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Japan. It was adopted at a meeting in Geneva following a vote by all contracting parties to the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, according to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The new rule sets core technical requirements for automated driving systems and outlines manufacturer obligations in areas such as safety management, product documentation, end-to-end testing, and vehicle safety. It also prescribes audit and evaluation methods, creating a comprehensive regulatory architecture that spans the entire product lifecycle. It provides a common foundation for the orderly and secure roll-out of autonomous driving technologies, a milestone that is expected to accelerate industrialization and drive the intelligent transformation of the global automotive sector.
The approval comes as autonomous driving technologies are rapidly evolving and entering commercial use worldwide. In China, the penetration rate of new vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems has already exceeded 60%. Yet, until now, no unified set of technical standards or regulations existed at the international level, with major economies advancing their own approaches independently. China played a leading and facilitating role throughout the regulatory development process. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) organized Chinese research institutes and industry partners to contribute dozens of technical proposals and share real-world testing data from closed course, public road and vehicle infrastructure trials. At the same time, China has accelerated the development of its own mandatory national standard for automated driving systems. That standard has now been finalized and is undergoing approval procedures. It fully aligns with the core technical content of the ADS GTR, while further refining the requirements for Level 3 and 4 automated driving systems in light of China’s industrial conditions and regulatory needs. Specifically, it sets clearer safety baselines for different automation levels, strengthens user training and disclosure mechanisms to prevent misuse and over-reliance, and introduces standardized tests based on the internationally accepted “multi-pillar” approach, providing practical support for the implementation of the global regulation.
Sun Hang, Chief Engineer of the China Automotive Standardization Research Institute, said that the vast complexity and diversity of Chinese urban driving scenarios can serve as an unrivaled testing ground, implying that systems validated in the country possess strong global adaptability and acceptability. China also benefits from a strong push for vehicle-road-cloud integration. In December, MIIT granted road approval for two L3 electric sedan models from automakers Changan Automobile and BAIC Motor’s Arcfox. The Changan model is limited to single-lane autonomous driving at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour in traffic congestion on specific Chongqing expressways, while Arcfox can operate at up to 80 km/h on designated Beijing highways, the China Daily reports.
