Changan Auto Deploys Level 3 Self-Driving Fleet on Public Roads
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Deepal, the new-energy vehicle unit of state-owned Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., has deployed a fleet of 46 cars with Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities for pilot operations in Chongqing, marking a tangible step in China’s cautious rollout of conditional self-driving technology.
Although the vehicles formally hit the road on Friday, they remain unavailable for purchase by individual consumers. Deepal Chairman Deng Chenghao stated that the application of Level 3 technology — defined as conditional automation where a human driver must be ready to intervene — is still in an exploratory phase. Consequently, the current fleet must be operated by professionally certified drivers rather than the general public.
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- Deepal deployed 46 Level 3 autonomous vehicles for pilot operations in Chongqing, operated by certified drivers only.
- The technology is under strict conditions, with speeds capped at 50 km/h, and is not available for consumer purchase.
- Regulatory, liability, and cost challenges persist, with industry debate on skipping Level 3 for Level 4; Deepal aims to cut system costs to under 30,000 yuan.
- Changan Automobile
- Changan Automobile is a state-owned company whose new-energy vehicle unit is Deepal. Deepal has deployed a fleet of 46 Level 3 autonomous cars for pilot operations in Chongqing. Liang Fenghua, head of AI foundations and applications at Changan Automobile, emphasized the pilot program's importance for data accumulation.
- Deepal
- Deepal, a new-energy vehicle unit of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., has initiated pilot operations with 46 Level 3 autonomous cars in Chongqing. These vehicles are currently for exploratory use by certified drivers only, not individual consumers. Deepal aims to reduce the cost of its Level 3 system to within 30,000 yuan for its next generation of products. Established in 2018, Deepal has raised 13.94 billion yuan.
- As of 2025：
- Deepal has raised 13.94 billion yuan since its establishment in 2018.
- December 15, 2025：
- Deepal received a pilot operation permit from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for its Level 3 autonomous vehicle fleet.
- December 20, 2025：
- Chongqing police issued special 'Z' license plates for Deepal's autonomous vehicles.
- Friday, December 27, 2025：
- Deepal's fleet of 46 Level 3 autonomous vehicles officially began pilot operations on public roads in Chongqing.
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