Portuguese 
The new industrial roadmap aims to expand autonomous driving on highways, expressways, and specific urban streets by 2030, while Beijing tightens rules on safety, software, and production. The government also seeks to elevate Chinese manufacturers to become some of the world’s ten largest automakers and increase the share of new energy vehicles to 70% of passenger car sales.
China has officially established a new phase in its automotive transformation. After gaining global scale with electric vehicles and batteries, the country now aims to achieve large-scale deployment of autonomous vehicles by 2030.
The plan was released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China together with eight other government agencies. The document sets goals for the period from 2026 to 2030 and integrates electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, connectivity, and autonomous driving within a single industrial strategy.
-
Honda CR-V Available for Under R$ 48,000: Japanese SUV Delivers 150 Horsepower, 5-Speed Transmission, and Impressive 628 Liters of Cargo Space at the Price of a Used Compact Car
-
Priced at around R$ 70,000, Hyundai ix35 2.0 automatic achieves up to 12.4 km/L, covers over 710 km per tank, and delivers 169 hp, 465 liters of trunk space, and a mid-size SUV stature at the cost of a used compact
-
Mitsubishi ASX O’Neill Boasts 415 Liters of Trunk Space, Costs Around R$ 71,000, Features 2.0 Engine with 160 hp, CVT Transmission, and a Range Over 670 km Without Turbo
-
Owner Spends R$ 3,843 on Major Maintenance for 1997 Corsa, Fuel Efficiency Improves from 12.5 to Nearly 16 km/l
The ambition is not limited to simply putting driverless cars on the streets. Beijing wants to create Chinese automakers among the ten largest in the world by sales, increase the influence of national brands abroad, and engage more actively in defining international standards that will determine how smart vehicles operate in the future.
Autonomous Driving is Set to Reach Highways and Urban Streets
By 2030, vehicles equipped with autonomous driving functions should see large-scale application.
The government predicts advancements in highly automated systems on highways, urban expressways, and specific city streets. This marks a significant shift from the restricted pilot programs that characterized the early years of the technology.
China already has a substantial foundation for this expansion.
Robotaxis are operating in cities like Wuhan, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, while various companies conduct testing and commercial operations. Baidu, Pony.ai, WeRide, and XPeng are among the groups competing in this market.
In May, for instance, CPG showed that XPeng launched its first mass-produced robotaxi in Guangzhou, equipped with a computing capacity of 3,000 TOPS and an L4 system without LiDAR. The manufacturer was also accumulating test data on public roads while preparing for production expansion.
The new document elevates this transformation to another scale.
Rather than relying solely on the individual strategies of companies and approvals granted by specific cities, autonomous driving now explicitly integrates into a national industrial plan for 2030.
Government Aims for Autonomous Vehicles Safer than Human Drivers
One of the most ambitious goals relates to safety.
The Ministry of Industry stated that autonomous vehicles should achieve higher safety levels than those of human-driven vehicles.
However, the plan does not imply that the government considers this goal already achieved.
On the contrary, the expansion will be accompanied by stricter regulations regarding vehicle production, road safety, autonomous driving systems, and software updates.
This point is particularly relevant because failures continue to occur.
In April, the CPG highlighted how a simultaneous malfunction left over 100 Baidu robotaxis immobilized in Wuhan, blocking lanes and exposing the challenges of operating large driverless fleets.
The incident showcased the very problem the Chinese strategy must confront: scaling technology does not just mean teaching a vehicle to drive. Systems, infrastructure, and support must continue to operate when hundreds or thousands of cars are simultaneously relying on the same technological ecosystem.
China Has Created Mandatory Standards for L3 and L4 Systems
Regulatory preparation has already begun.
In July 2026, Chinese authorities approved a new mandatory national safety standard for autonomous driving systems. The regulation is set to take effect on July 1, 2027.
It covers vehicles in categories L3 and L4.
At Level 3, the system can take over driving under specific conditions, although the driver must still be prepared to regain control when requested.
At Level 4, the vehicle can perform the entire driving task within certain conditions and operational areas without continually relying on a person.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Industry, two L3 models received conditional market entry approval in 2025, while tests for connected smart vehicles continued to advance.
Therefore, the 2030 goal isn’t starting from scratch.
The country is trying to simultaneously build technology, legislation, and infrastructure capable of supporting a much larger deployment.
New Energy Vehicles Expected to Reach 70% of Sales
Autonomous driving is just one part of the plan.
By 2030, China aims for new energy vehicles to account for approximately 70% of new passenger car sales in the domestic market. For new commercial vehicles, the target is 40%.
The Chinese category of new energy vehicles mainly includes battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell models.
This means Beijing is attempting to combine two transformations that have been advancing in parallel for years.
The first progressively replaces combustion-only engines with electrified systems.
The second aims to transform the automobile into a computing platform capable of interpreting the environment, making decisions, and driving.
By the end of the decade, the government wants these two trends to progress together.
BYD Also Prepares L3 and L4 Technology
Chinese automakers have already begun to structure their products for this shift.
The CPG recently showed that BYD has developed the Xuanji A3 automotive chip with 4-nanometer technology for intelligent driving systems and claims that the technology supports L3 and L4 autonomy features.
In a configuration with three chips, the set can exceed 2,100 TOPS of processing, according to the manufacturer. BYD is also expanding the use of the God’s Eye system and LiDAR sensors in its Chinese vehicles.
The company intends to introduce intelligent driving technologies in Brazil starting in 2027; however, the features, approvals, and levels actually available in the Brazilian market will depend on local regulations and the configuration of vehicles sold in the country.
This move illustrates why Beijing’s plan has implications that could extend beyond Chinese borders.
When manufacturers develop chips, sensors, and software for millions of vehicles in the domestic market, some of these technologies may later find their way into exported cars.
China Aims to Position Its Automakers Among the Top 10 in the World
Another objective underscores the industrial dimension of the strategy.
The government aims to develop multiple Chinese manufacturers capable of ranking among the world’s top ten automakers in sales.
The summary released by Reuters did not specify a precise number of companies required to achieve this status.
Still, the direction is clear.
China intends to use a combination of electrification, software, and autonomy to strengthen its brands overseas.
Moreover, Beijing aims to enhance its influence over international automotive standards.
This aspect could become strategic because cars increasingly defined by software require standards for sensors, artificial intelligence, remote updates, cybersecurity, and automated decision-making.
Those involved in establishing these standards also influence how the global industry is organized.
Government Seeks to Assist Chinese Automakers in Other Markets
The plan includes specific measures for international expansion.
The Ministry of Industry intends to develop guidelines to help Chinese manufacturers comply with regulations in foreign markets.
At the same time, Beijing looks to encourage greater cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies.
This collaboration could involve research on vehicles and essential components, investments, and international expansion.
Thus, the strategy does not merely describe an industry confined within China.
The objective is to strengthen domestic companies while simultaneously expanding their presence in the global automotive system.
But Beijing Also Aims to Curb Overcapacity in Factories
Interestingly, the same plan that aims to accelerate advanced technologies also acknowledges a problem created by the rapid growth of the Chinese industry.
There exists overcapacity in certain segments.
Therefore, the government intends to increase scrutiny of vehicle and battery manufacturing capacities, combat investments deemed excessive, and encourage consolidations among companies.
Additionally, Beijing promises to strengthen the enforcement of antitrust rules and improve product quality oversight.
Improper incentives granted by local governments will also come under scrutiny.
This reveals a significant shift.
During the first phase of electric vehicle expansion, dozens of manufacturers vied for investments, factories, and consumers. Now, the government seems intent on exchanging chaotic growth for scale accompanied by consolidation and quality control.
Autonomous Vehicles Are Also Transforming Chinese Logistics
Driverless technology is not limited to passenger transport.
In April, CPG reported that delivery robots were already present in over 100 Chinese cities and were making more than 1 million deliveries monthly.
These machines have a different characteristic than robotaxis: many don’t even need a steering wheel or cabin for a driver.
Logistical expansion helps China test autonomy in different scenarios, gathering traffic data and operational experience.
Therefore, the planned rollout for 2030 could involve a much larger ecosystem than simply personal cars that can drive themselves.
Robotaxis, commercial vehicles, delivery machines, and urban transport systems can progress simultaneously.
Artificial Intelligence Becomes Part of the Automobile
This transformation also changes what determines the technological value of a car.
For decades, manufacturers competed primarily on engines, transmissions, mechanical safety, comfort, and efficiency.
Now, chips, sensors, cameras, artificial intelligence, and software are increasingly important.
An autonomous system must detect vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, traffic lights, lanes, obstacles, and unexpected changes in the environment.
Then, it must interpret this information and decide in fractions of a second when to accelerate, brake, or change direction.
The higher the level of autonomy, the less likely it is to rely on human intervention to correct errors.
That is exactly why safety and regulation repeatedly appear in the new Chinese plan.
Scale Also Increases the Consequences of a Failure
The experience in Wuhan showcased another side of this transformation.
When a single conventional car malfunctions, the problem usually remains localized.
When hundreds of connected cars share software, digital infrastructure, and similar systems, a failure can produce simultaneous effects.
Thus, the expansion to millions of vehicles will require redundancy, cybersecurity, and response capabilities far beyond what is needed during small tests.
The plan itself acknowledges this need by proposing stricter rules for software updates and security.
Therefore, the Chinese challenge by 2030 will not only be to make the car drive itself.
It will be to prove that millions of them can do it reliably.
China Aims to Become a Global Automotive Power by 2030
The ultimate goal goes beyond autonomous driving.
The document released by nine governmental agencies states that China aims to join the ranks of the major global automotive powers by 2030, strengthening advantages across the entire chain of connected smart vehicles and new energy.
To achieve this, the country combines several goals: 70% of new passenger cars sold must be new energy vehicles, autonomous functions should achieve large-scale deployment, and some Chinese manufacturers need to compete among the top ten in the world.
At the same time, Beijing intends to control excess capacity, improve industrial quality, and tighten regulations.
The strategy shows that the Chinese automotive race is entering a second phase.
Initially, the country gained scale with batteries and electric vehicles.
Now, it aims to leverage this industrial capability in artificial intelligence, software, and autonomous driving.
If it meets the timeline, 2030 could mark the moment when vehicles capable of handling a significant portion of driving transition from being limited projects in a few Chinese cities to becoming part of a much larger transportation system.
