On December 20, 2025, China’s first official L3 autonomous driving license plate “YU AD0001Z” was officially issued to Changan Automobile by Chongqing Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Corps and mounted on Deepal models. This milestone not only marks the official arrival of China’s L3 autonomous driving era and the new stage of compliant commercialization of autonomous driving in China, but also empowers Chinese auto brands to break new ground in the global export market with cutting-edge intelligent driving technology, realizing the leap from “product export” to “technology leadership”.
Cutting-Edge L3 Tech Builds Core Competitive Edge for Export
The first L3 autonomous driving license plate obtained by Changan Auto is the fruit of 17 years of in-depth technological research. Since establishing its intelligent R&D team in 2009, Changan has undergone 7 generations of technological iteration and built the Tianshu intelligent technology system centered on the Tianshu Large Model. Backed by a top-tier in-house R&D team of over 3,000 professionals and a real driving data ecosystem covering more than 1 billion kilometers, Changan has laid a solid foundation for technological implementation.
Its L3 autonomous driving system has passed 5 million kilometers of rigorous tests, covering 191 types of scenario elements—10 times that of the national standard—and maintained a perfect record of “zero accidents and zero violations” in Chongqing’s complex three-dimensional traffic environment, completing full-link safety verification certified by national mandatory standards. First equipped on Deepal models, this system can realize continuous horizontal and vertical control on urban expressways, make advance predictions and responses to extreme situations like car cut-ins and sudden braking, with seamless handover mechanisms. Aligning with the European UN-R157 regulations, the technology fills the experience gap of intelligent driving in mainstream overseas models, becoming the core “technology ace” for Deepal to conquer the global market.
Accelerated Global Layout: Deepal Models Sold in Over 40 Countries
Technological breakthroughs have driven rapid market expansion, with Changan Auto’s overseas footprint expanding steadily. At present, Deepal series models have been exported to more than 40 countries including Germany, Spain and Italy, with overseas sales exceeding 10,000 units for 3 consecutive months. At the Munich Motor Show, Deepal models sparked a craze among European consumers thanks to their L3 autonomous driving potential, 8155 intelligent cockpit and high cost-effectiveness at around 40,000 euros. Recently, Changan announced its entry into the Italian and Spanish markets, launching two pure electric models, Deepal S05 and S07, and plans to deploy localized after-sales service and charging networks in Europe by 2026 to enhance user experience.
Supported by Changan’s global R&D and supply chain system, Deepal models realize technological homology and efficient collaboration from R&D to mass production, ensuring consistent quality at home and abroad. The landing of L3 autonomous driving technology further enhances the premium image of Deepal in overseas markets, with inquiries volume surging by 200% since the issuance of the L3 license plate, laying a solid foundation for Changan Auto to seize the high-end intelligent electric vehicle market overseas.
Industry Ecological Upgrade Boosts China’s Auto Global Competitiveness
Behind Changan Auto’s L3 technological breakthrough is the efficient city-enterprise collaborative innovation model with Chongqing. Relying on the “33618″ modern manufacturing cluster system, the two sides have formed synergy in policy innovation, road opening and on-road safety guarantee, providing full-process policy support for the implementation of L3 autonomous driving functions, while Chongqing’s unique complex traffic conditions have provided rigorous verification scenarios for the system.
In the industrial ecology, the full-life-cycle safety system and strict verification standards built by Changan Auto will drive the coordinated upgrading of the entire industry chain, consolidating the competitiveness of China’s intelligent connected vehicles in the global market. The acquisition of the first L3 autonomous driving license plate marks China’s key leap from technology following to rule leading in the global autonomous driving field.
Looking ahead, Changan Auto will take safety as the cornerstone and innovation as the engine, accelerate the global layout of L3 autonomous driving technology, promote the large-scale commercialization of L3 models in overseas markets, and help Chinese auto brands occupy a more important position in the global intelligent electric vehicle competition, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the global auto industry.
Post time: Dec-22-2025