The Ministry of Transportation issued a heavy positive!Greatly accelerate the commercialization of autonomous driving

The greatest significance of the autonomous driving opinion draft is that it is the first time that a national ministry has issued clear regulations on the commercialization of autonomous vehicles for carrying people and objects on public roads. Commercialization in five autonomous driving fields such as Robotaxi, Robotruck, Robobus, Robovan, and Robosweeper has a huge role in promoting!

Let’s first focus on some detailed requirements of the notice:

1. Scope of application

Use self-driving cars on highways (including highways), urban roads and other roads used for social motor vehicle traffic to engage in urban bus (electric) passenger transportation, taxi passenger transportation, road general cargo transportation, and road passenger transportation. For activities, this guideline applies.

For the purpose of this guideline, an autonomous vehicle refers to a vehicle capable of performing all dynamic driving tasks under its designed operating conditions, including conditionally autonomous vehicles, highly autonomous vehicles, and fully autonomous vehicles.

Comments: The scope of application includes scenes and vehicles. The scene includes four public road scenes, covering the commercialization of people and goods on public roads. In terms of vehicles, it includes autonomous vehicles at all levels from L2-L5. Whether it is a scene or a vehicle, it covers a wide range, supports the commercialization of autonomous driving to the greatest extent, and supports the unmanned driving of autonomous driving technology.

2. Development orientation

On the premise of ensuring transportation safety, encourage the use of self-driving cars for urban bus (electric) passenger transport operations in scenarios such as closed bus rapid transit systems, and use self-driving cars for rental in scenarios with simple traffic conditions and relatively controllable conditions Automobile passenger transportation business activities, using autonomous vehicles to engage in road general cargo transportation business activities in scenarios such as point-to-point trunk road transportation and relatively closed roads. Use autonomous vehicles prudently in road passenger transport operations. The use of autonomous vehicles to engage in the operation of road transport of dangerous goods is prohibited.

Comments: The development orientation clearly supports the development of autonomous driving technology in various scenarios of manned and loaded, including Robotaxi, Robotruck, Robobus, miniRobobus, Robovan, Robosweeper, etc. However, self-driving cars are clearly prohibited from engaging in the business activities of road transport of dangerous goods. After all, public roads are dangerous. However, in closed scenarios, such as those with harsh working environments such as factories and parks, it is more suitable to use autonomous vehicles to transport dangerous goods.

3. Insurance not less than 5 million

Autonomous vehicles engaged in transportation operations shall be insured with compulsory motor vehicle traffic accident liability insurance, safety production liability insurance, and third-party motor vehicle liability insurance with an insurance amount of not less than 5 million yuan. Self-driving cars engaged in road passenger transportation and online booking of taxis for passenger transportation shall also insure carrier liability insurance in accordance with relevant state regulations.

Comments: At present, the insurance amount in the field of commercialized autonomous driving in the industry is mostly 5 million or more in fields such as Robotaxi and Robotruck.

4. Fully autonomous driving should be equipped with a remote driver or safety officer

Regarding personnel requirements, the service guide makes it clear that conditionally autonomous and highly autonomous vehicles engaged in transportation operations should be equipped with drivers, and fully autonomous vehicles engaged in transportation operations should be equipped with remote drivers or safety officers.

Comments: This is very confusing. Fully autonomous vehicles should be equipped with remote drivers or safety officers, which is not in line with the current technology development trend. The industry is more about supporting remote takeovers in the event of a problem with a fully autonomous vehicle, rather than requiring a driver or safety officer to drive remotely. If it is to be operated remotely, the commercialization of autonomous driving technology does not exist.

5. When the transportation operator formulates the transportation safety guarantee plan, it should be clear that the operation route of the self-driving car is far away from the crowded places such as schools, hospitals, large supermarkets, etc.;

Comments: This regulation is understandable at this stage, and it will take time for the autonomous driving technology to mature. However, in the end, the objects that autonomous driving technology will serve must be people including schools, hospitals, large supermarkets, and maybe even key service objects. Equal rights in science and technology, the role of autonomous driving technology is to allow more people to enjoy more convenient travel services, including those who cannot drive for various reasons.

6. When the vehicle is involved in an accident or the automatic driving function fails, automatically record and store the operating status information from at least 90 seconds before the accident to at least 30 seconds after the accident. The operating status information includes at least: basic vehicle information, control mode changes, received remote control commands, operating status, human-computer interaction, and images inside and outside the vehicle.

Comments: This requirement should probably include all the mass-produced models that claim to be equipped with autonomous driving technology, and clearly stipulate that once the data cannot be provided, the responsibility for the accident should be directly attributed to the car manufacturer or the provider of the autonomous driving system, and consumers should not Let ingest the data put the responsibility directly on the consumer. In this way, you don’t have to go to the parking lot to pick it up when you have an accident. It also avoids consumers’ unwillingness to have their vehicles inspected by third parties.