China Standards for Smart Driving On The Way
China is about to unfold its road map for intelligent connected vehicle development, in the expectation of regulating and standardizing the burgeoning sector, and helping local car makers and related companies head forward speedily.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology plans to release an intelligent connected vehicle technology development guidelines next month, a leading official from the minstry said at the Forum on Integration of Auto Industry and Information Communication Technology.
The ministry is also drafting a production standards framework and a committee of experts is being prepared to research and establish the standards for the technology, intelligent assistant, and information security for intelligent connected vehicles, said She Weizhen, director of the equipment industry division at the ministry.
Industry insiders say intelligent connected vehicles will have to be able to react on time to changing situations, which involves a vehicle autonomously collecting information via its sensors, rapidly processing it and then issuing instructions for it to act on.
Vehicles will also communicate with the transportation infrastructure to help the car understand the traffic situation and aid traffic control, and China plans to carry out a pilot program in the near future.
He said the ministry’s actions will support the development of Chinese automakers, as there won’t be any grey areas left hindering investors’ decision-making.
Currently, Chinese companies have not mastered the core technologies in automotive radar and sensors and the related parts, the majority of the parts and industrial solutions come from European and United States technology companies.
In terms of volume, Robert Bosch GmbH is leading the practical and critical parts sector toward future intelligent mobility, including driving assistance, high-speed adaptive cruise control assistance, and emergency hard braking, according to the German company.
The State Council last year released its “Made-in-China 2025” strategy stating intelligent connected cars are one of the focus industries, and MIIT has been strengthening the top-level design since then.
Ministries are also drafting regulations on the testing of intelligent connected vehicles on public roads, allowing only those products in line with the regulation to conduct highway tests.
An enclosed environment has been created for non-highway tests. The National Intelligent Connected Vehicle Testing Demonstration Base was opened in Shanghai in June, and the national-level base is expected to facilitate research and development, standards studies and policy formulation, besides testing the technology.
