WAIC 2026 disclosed that China has issued over 20,000 ICV test licenses, opened over 57,000 km of demonstration roads, with cumulative testing exceeding 220 million km. Passenger vehicle L2 driver assistance penetration reached 70.5%, and the first batch of L3 vehicles has been approved for public road operation.
Testing Data: From Quantitative to Qualitative Change
On July 27, 2026, the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held a media roundtable in Beijing under the theme "Gathering Wisdom and Energy, Connecting Infinitely — Steadily Advancing into the New Era of Autonomous Driving." Guo Shougang, Director of the MIIT's Department of Equipment Industry I, disclosed the latest progress in ICV testing, with key data painting a clear picture of China's acceleration toward mass deployment.
To date, authorities nationwide have issued more than 20,000 test licenses and opened over 57,000 km of demonstration roads, with cumulative test mileage surpassing 220 million km. In the "vehicle-road-cloud integration" pilot program, 20 pilot cities have deployed over 60,000 intelligent devices, serving a total of more than 100,000 vehicles.
| Key Indicator | Data Performance | Industry Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Test Licenses | Over 20,000 | Covering more cities and scenarios |
| Demo Roads | Over 57,000 km | Infrastructure for tech validation |
| Cumulative Testing | Over 220M km | Verifying reliability in real conditions |
| V2X Devices | Over 60,000 | Supporting cooperative perception |
Application Deployment: L2 as Standard, L3 Pilot Begins
In mass production applications, the data is equally impressive. So far in 2026, the penetration rate of L2 combined driver assistance systems in passenger vehicles has hit 70.5%, while models featuring NOA reached 34.2%. This means L2 assistance is no longer a premium exclusive but is rapidly penetrating the mainstream market.
More symbolically, the first batch of L3 conditional autonomous driving vehicles has received approval to operate on public roads in designated zones. L3 means that under specific conditions, the vehicle can take over driving tasks. This breakthrough marks a critical step from "assistance" to "conditional autonomy."
Standardization and International Alignment
Sun Hang, chief expert at CATARC, introduced progress in autonomous driving standardization. This work directly impacts the compliance of Chinese intelligent driving technologies entering overseas markets.
For industry observers in Central Asia and Russia, the maturity of China's ICV testing system means:
- Enhanced Technical Reliability: Over 220 million km of testing makes system performance more predictable
- Accelerated Product Maturity: 70.5% L2 penetration indicates mass production validation
- Export Compliance Foundation: Sound standardization provides a compliance framework for overseas markets
| ADAS Level | Penetration | Market Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| L2 Combined | 70.5% | Mainstream standard, rapid adoption |
| NOA Navigation | 34.2% | Differentiation for mid-high-end models |
| L3 Conditional | Pilot stage | Approved in designated zones |
As China's technology accumulation and testing scale continue to expand, consumers in Central Asia and Russia will have faster access to fully validated Chinese intelligent driving products. Visit EX1000.COM for more in-depth industry analysis.
