On May 7, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, working in tandem with the Municipal Public Security Bureau and the Municipal Transportation Commission, unveiled the 'Detailed Rules for the Administration of Highway Testing of Intelligent Connected Vehicles in Chongqing (Trial).' These rules are designed to enhance the testing framework for advanced autonomous driving technologies in highway settings and to standardize the management of testing for intelligent connected vehicles at Level 3 and above on highways.

As per the 'Detailed Rules,' testing organizations are required to devise specialized evaluation procedures for highway testing, formulate comprehensive risk contingency strategies, and establish robust safety management systems. These measures must undergo third-party reviews prior to the submission of applications. The testing fleet encompasses passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and specialized operational vehicles, all of which must fulfill specific mileage criteria: Level 3 vehicles must log a cumulative safe mileage of at least 2,000 kilometers for the entire batch, with each vehicle contributing no less than 200 kilometers; vehicles at Level 4 and above must individually accumulate a safe mileage of 10,000 kilometers. All vehicles are mandated to undergo pre-testing in simulated environments, closed test sites, and urban roads, and subsequently submit detailed reports.

To minimize the risks inherent in high-level autonomous driving, the 'Detailed Rules' introduce a three-phase progressive testing methodology. This approach begins with safety vehicles positioned both ahead and behind the test vehicle, transitions to retaining only the rear safety vehicle, and culminates in independent testing without any safety vehicles, thereby systematically verifying the vehicle's reliability in highway autonomous driving scenarios. Moreover, test drivers are required to undergo a minimum of 20 hours of specialized highway operational training and emergency takeover response training, aimed at bolstering their capacity to manage unforeseen circumstances and ensuring safety during highway driving.