On August 4, reports emerged indicating that the mandatory national standard for Intelligent Connected Vehicles, titled "Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems (GB44721—2026)," which has been formulated and overseen by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is set to receive approval and be issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China on July 30, 2026. The standard is slated for official implementation on July 1, 2027. This standard primarily applies to M- and N-category vehicles equipped with L3 and L4 (highly autonomous driving) systems, with automatic parking systems excluded from its purview.

The standard delineates specific requirements for human-machine interaction and user notification within autonomous driving systems, with the aim of mitigating risks associated with misuse and abuse. It mandates that the activation and deactivation processes of autonomous driving systems must be conducted safely and provides detailed guidelines for indicating status information and signals, such as readiness, activation, and deactivation.

For L3 autonomous driving systems, there is a particular emphasis on the necessity for the system to monitor the driver's takeover capability. Furthermore, vehicle manufacturers are required to convey crucial information to users through diverse channels, including product user manuals, official websites, and onboard display terminals. This information encompasses the level of driving automation, the scope and limitations of capabilities, control strategies, and transitions in user roles, ensuring that users can accurately comprehend and utilize autonomous driving systems.