IM Motors is applying to the Chinese industry regulator for L3 product entry, with its models expected to be among the first to begin L3 self-driving pilots.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
IM Motors, a premium electric vehicle (EV) brand jointly created by Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor Corp and e-commerce giant Alibaba, has been granted permission to conduct L3 self-driving road tests in Shanghai, becoming the latest to receive the license.
IM Motors’ vehicles equipped with L3 self-driving features have been officially licensed to conduct self-driving tests on highways and expressways in Shanghai, the company announced today.
IM Motors will conduct L3 self-driving road tests in designated areas to accelerate the development of high-level intelligent driving products and to meet user demand for higher-order smart-driving cars, the Shanghai-based company said.
(Image credit: IM Motors)
Meanwhile, IM Motors is applying to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) for L3 product entry, and its models are expected to be among the first to enter the L3 autonomous driving pilot, the company said.
China issued a notice at the end of last month allowing cars with mass-production conditions that support L3 and L4 autonomous driving to carry out road tests based on pilots in limited areas, and clarifying the determination of accident responsibility for the first time.
Following the notice, car companies including BMW and Mercedes-Benz have announced that they are authorized to conduct road tests of L3 self-driving vehicles in China.
IM Motors began public testing of its highway pilot-assisted driving feature in April, and on December 12, the feature became available nationwide in China, covering highways in 333 cities.
To date, IM Motors’ highway pilot-assisted driving function is applicable to 389,000 road kilometers, according to the company.
IM Motors will begin public testing of its city pilot-assisted driving feature in Shanghai at the end of the year, as planned, and will officially make the feature available before the Chinese New Year, with vehicles in Shanghai being the first to be able to use it, IM Motors said.
IM Motors will launch an urban commuter mode for smart driving in mid-2024, which will cover 100 cities during 2024, it said.
