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Volkswagen Gets China Permit for Level 3 Autonomy in Hefei

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026, 02:14 UTC · How we work

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Summary

Volkswagen Group China obtained a public road-test permit for Level 3 autonomous driving in Hefei.
The permit, under China’s strictest L3 framework, also allows large-scale citywide driving-data collection.
Testing began in October 2026 with CARIZON’s fleet, whose Hyper Sense 8 system simulates 5 million km daily.
VW invested €2.4 billion for a 60% stake in CARIZON and targets Level 3 by 2027, Level 4 by 2029.

History

After California passed its first autonomous-vehicle testing law in 2012, the DMV granted Waymo a permit in October 2018, making it the state’s first company authorized for driver-less road trials. By December 2016 Waymo had logged over 2 million autonomous miles. China’s 2018 testing regulations now enable similar city permits, echoing the U.S. precedent.

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Historical Context

After California passed its first autonomous-vehicle testing law in 2012, the DMV granted Waymo a permit in October 2018, making it the state’s first company authorized for driver-less road trials. By December 2016 Waymo had logged over 2 million autonomous miles. China’s 2018 testing regulations now enable similar city permits, echoing the U.S. precedent.

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