Hangzhou gives law permission on autonomous vehicle road test

Hangzhou authorities recently issued the Hangzhou Regulations on Intelligent and Connected Vehicles Road Testing (Trial) (hereinafter referred to as the Hangzhou Regulations), which will officially come into effect on August 20. The road sections to be used for ICV tests will be open to the public in the near future, according to local media.

To execute the Hangzhou Regulations, local government plans to set up an expert panel and authorize a third party institute to evaluate test applications, examine tested vehicles and issue the road testing number plates.

The Hangzhou Regulations require that the applicant should be an independent legal entity registered in China, such as complete vehicle maker, refitted vehicle manufacturing firm, Internet company, scientific research institution, college, transportation company. Meanwhile, the test applicant should have certain capabilities relating to autonomous driving, such as vehicle and technology R&D, manufacturing of vehicles and components, operation of autonomous driving businesses.

Similar to the regulations released by other Chinese cities, the Hangzhou Regulations also specify strict requirements on test drivers who will handle emergencies in case of malfunction. For instance, a test driver should have no record of accumulating 12 demerit points within the latest three consecutive point periods prior to the vehicle test and no record of drunken driving.

Besides, the Regulations require the test driver to have more than 50 hours of self-driving operation experience. Meanwhile, test drivers should be liable for any traffic law violation and traffic accidents caused.