In June 2026, China is rolling out a suite of revised automotive standards while celebrating the adoption of the world’s first UN regulation on autonomous driving systems (ADS), in a synchronized push for global harmonization and domestic industrial safety. The developments mark a pivotal shift from technical recommendations to enforceable safety certification frameworks for intelligent vehicles.
On June 16, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued three mandatory automotive standard drafts for public comment until June 24, including:
- 20256778-Q-339Intelligent and connected vehicle – Safety requirements for automated driving system
- 20253211-Q-339 Limits of dimensions, axle load and masses for motor vehicles, trailers and combination vehicles
- The English-language draft of GB 45672-2025 On-board accident emergency call system
20256778-Q-339 supersedes the voluntary standard GB/T 44721-2024 Intelligent and connected vehicle—General technical requirements for automated driving system. It references the UN Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving System (UN ADS GTR) and UN R157 Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) for international alignment. The standard specifies technical and safety assurance requirements, type uniformity criteria, and testing methods for Level 3 and Level 4 ADS on M and N category vehicles (excluding parking systems). It refines dynamic driving tasks, human-machine interaction, and user notification, while adding highway and urban expressway requirements. The recommended effective date is July 1, 2027; new models must comply upon implementation, with a 13-month grace period for existing approved models.
20253211-Q-339 specifies the dimensional, axle load, and mass limits for motor vehicles, trailers, and combinations used on roads. This revision references EU Directive 96/53/EC Certain road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum authorized dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorized weights in international traffic and its latest amending proposals. It introduces new terms and corresponding limits for streamlined semi-trailer tractors and motorhome combinations, updates definitions for trucks and trailers, optimizes measurement rules, and clarifies specific exemptions for radar/camera sensors and four-axle concrete mixer trucks. The recommended effective date is July 1, 2027, with new model types required to comply upon implementation and existing approved models granted a 7-month grace period.
The release of these drafts comes as the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29), at its 199th session in Geneva from June 22 to 26, 2026, officially adopted the world’s first ADS GTR. Co-led by China, the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, and Japan, the ADS GTR establishes core technical indicators, safety management processes, safety case requirements, full-lifecycle testing frameworks, and post-deployment safety provisions, along with supporting verification and assessment methods. As the first global ADS regulation, it provides a unified framework for safe deployment and marks a milestone for the autonomous vehicle industry.
China will continue to engage in international standard-setting and accelerate domestic mandatory standards while expanding pilot programs for road testing, vehicle-road-cloud integration, production access, and on-road deployment to ensure safe ADS rollout and lead China’s intelligent connected vehicle industry forward. China’s new mandatory ADS standards (20256778-Q-339) align with UN global regulations, reducing foundational compliance complexity for EU firms, yet local-specific requirements and a tight implementation timeline may raise compliance costs and time-to-market pressures, necessitating prompt gap assessments.
Source: https://wap.miit.gov.cn/jgsj/kjs/jscx/bzgf/art/2026/art_28990b5928564bfcafbbd9ebb766046a.html
https://wap.miit.gov.cn/xwfb/gxdt/sjdt/art/2026/art_708b7727cc4544e8bc2f335cdc92b531.html
