China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has laid out an ambitious plan to bring self-driving cars into the mainstream by 2030. The roadmap calls for autonomous vehicles to operate not just on highways, but also on urban expressways and select city streets. Regulators are also planning to tighten the rules around autopilot safety and software updates. The ultimate goal: make autonomous driving safer than human drivers.

Where Self-Driving Cars Will Hit the Road

The plan would allow autonomous vehicles on intercity highways, city expressways, and certain urban streets. The idea is to see large-scale deployment of the tech across these key routes by 2030.

Zeroing In on Safety and Software

Regulators are doubling down on reliability for autopilot systems and putting stricter controls on software updates. Top priorities include minimizing risks and pushing safety standards for autonomous driving so high that they outperform human drivers.

Timeline and Targets

The target year is 2030, when China expects to see widespread adoption of autonomous driving systems across its designated road network.