Liuzhou includes highways among ICV road testing areas

Baojun Valli is the first type of ICVs to receive the road-testing license for highways. [Photo by Zhu Liurong/China News Service]

Liuzhou, which is located in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, released an enforcement regulation for road tests and the demonstrative application of intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) in the city on Sept 1.

The document pointed out that highways have been included among the roads for carrying out ICV road tests and application, and the first road-testing license was granted on the same day. 

Hong Jinxing, director of Liuzhou big data development bureau, said that Liuzhou is an important industrial base in Southwest China and its industrial output accounts for a quarter of Guangxi's total.

The city, owning production bases of four major domestic automobile groups, has been taking an active role in the research, production, testing and demonstrative application of ICVs. It became Guangxi's only pilot city for ICV road testing and management in 2018. 

Several finished automobile manufacturers in Liuzhou have started the research and development tests for ICVs in closed areas. 

SAIC-GM-Wuling has put 188 new energy vehicles into operation on 33 smart unmanned logistic routes in its Baojun Base and their total operation mileage has exceeded 860,000 kilometers.

ICVs entering highways for road testing have to pass adequate testing and evaluations for their functions and performance, and especially for their safety performance under different circumstances. Drivers are required to monitor the autonomous driving status of the vehicle during the whole process and they have to intervene or take over the driving when necessary. 

Baojun Valli is the first type of ICVs to receive the road-testing license for highways as it has finished all tests required in closed areas.