Approximately 15 million passenger cars in China were equipped with Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) capabilities as of August 2026, highlighting the growing adoption of advanced driver-assistance technology in the country.
The China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) said on Friday that around 61 million passenger cars had Level 2 (L2) driver-assistance features as of the same month. NOA-equipped vehicles accounted for approximately 25% of that fleet.
The figures cover vehicles already in use, rather than new car sales during 2026.
China Revises Connected-Vehicle Standards
The data was presented at the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, held in Beijing’s Yizhuang area from October 21 to 23. The event was jointly organised by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Transport and the Beijing municipal government.
On October 21, Guo Shougang, head of the MIIT equipment industry department, released a draft of the 2026 edition of China’s guidelines for developing a national technical standards system for connected vehicles. The draft was opened for public consultation.
China has established an initial framework for connected-vehicle standards, with more than 400 standards developed or under development across intelligent connected vehicles, information and communications technology, intelligent transportation and vehicle management.
The revised guidelines aim to expand standards covering intelligent connected-vehicle functions and applications, strengthen requirements for system architecture and core components, and improve overall safety provisions. They also seek to refine standards governing autonomous-driving operations and services.
5G and C-V2X Connectivity Expand
Vehicle connectivity is also increasing across China’s passenger-car fleet. As of August 2026, approximately 16 million passenger cars were equipped with 5G terminals, while around 2 million had Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) terminals.
C-V2X technology enables vehicles to exchange information with other vehicles, road infrastructure and other road users. It can support applications such as hazard warnings, traffic coordination and cooperative driving.
The growing number of connected vehicles provides a broader technological foundation for intelligent transportation systems, alongside the expansion of onboard driver-assistance functions.
China Advances Second Batch of L3 Pilots
Chinese regulators are also moving forward with market-access pilots for vehicles equipped with Level 3 (L3) autonomous-driving capabilities.
Guo said work on the second batch of L3 autonomous-driving product market-access pilots was underway, Cailian reported on October 22. He did not identify the participating automakers or vehicle models, nor provide a timetable for potential approvals.
The first batch of L3 models from Changan and BAIC received conditional market-access approval in December 2025. Their use is restricted to designated road sections and specified operating conditions, rather than permitting unrestricted deployment nationwide.
L3 systems can perform the driving task under defined conditions, but their operation remains subject to the limits established for each approved vehicle and use case.
Adoption and Regulation Develop in Parallel
The 15 million NOA-equipped vehicles represent a substantial portion of China’s L2-equipped passenger-car fleet, while the broader figures for 5G and C-V2X show continued growth in connected-vehicle technology.
At the same time, the revision of national standards and the expansion of L3 market-access pilots indicate that regulators are developing technical and operational frameworks alongside industry adoption.
The next stage of deployment will depend on further standards development, vehicle assessments and the conditions under which increasingly advanced driving systems can be operated.
Source: CnEVPost