XPeng and Li Auto have both obtained Level 3 autonomous driving road test permits in their respective home cities, as Chinese regulators accelerate efforts to transition advanced driver-assistance technology from testing to commercial deployment.
XPeng, which produces both fully electric and extended range vehicles, received approval to conduct L3 testing on expressways and highways in Guangzhou, where the company is headquartered.
The permit was first reported by the local media outlet Yicai, with EV confirming the permit with a company spokesperson.
Li Auto secured a similar permit for Beijing’s intelligent connected vehicle test roads.
The permits allow both automakers to conduct what regulators term “normalized” L3 road testing — routine operations rather than limited trials — for conditional autonomous driving in designated areas.
The approvals follow an announcement by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology certifying the country’s first batch of L3-level conditional autonomous driving models.
As first reported by Reuters, the first two carmakers getting the permit approval were the state-owned Changan Auto and BAIC Motor.
Two models suited for urban congestion and highway scenarios will begin on-road pilot programs in designated areas of Beijing and Chongqing, marking a key step toward commercial application.
At its 2025 Tech Day held in early November, the Guangzhou-based automaker unveiled its second-generation Visual Language Action model with L4-level capabilities.
The software is expected to enter mass production and be installed in vehicles in the first quarter of 2026, months before the launch of models with both hardware and software meeting L4 autonomous driving standards.
The autonomous driving progress comes as XPeng expands its international manufacturing footprint.
Since February, Tesla has rolled out a special version of its Supervised Full Self Driving technology in China with the company later announcing that customers can transfer it to newly purchased Tesla vehicles..
Earlier this week, XPeng signed a deal with Malaysian manufacturer EP Manufacturing Berhad to assemble its G6 and X9 electric vehicles in the Southeast Asian nation.
