Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) has begun internal testing of Level 3 (L3) conditional autonomous driving systems in Shenzhen, working in coordination with local transportation authorities, Chinese media outlet Cailian reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the pilot program differs from conventional research and development testing by focusing on real-world road conditions and data from everyday users. The aim is to assess system safety and product maturity while providing reference data to support the formulation of national policies governing L3 autonomous driving.
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The initiative is being jointly promoted by several Shenzhen government bodies, including the city’s Transport Bureau and Development and Reform Commission, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter. Huawei employees are participating in the program using privately purchased 2025 Aito M9 and Maextro S800 vehicles.
The vehicles are being tested across Shenzhen’s entire network of highways and urban expressways, covering roughly 1,000 kilometers. The program has so far completed more than 20,000 kilometers of real-world driving validation, according to Cailian.
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The testing comes as China updates its regulatory framework for L3 autonomous driving. On Monday, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced approval for two L3 autonomous driving models, one from Changan Automobile and another from Arcfox, the electric vehicle brand of Beijing Automotive Group.
The approvals mark China’s first issuance of L3 autonomous driving permits for conventional passenger vehicles, allowing the Changan Deepal SL03 and Arcfox Alpha S sedan to conduct public road testing on designated routes. The Arcfox Alpha S is equipped with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS intelligent driving system, while the Deepal SL03 uses Changan’s in-house smart driving technology.
