(Yicai) Dec. 22 -- Chinese car giant Changan Automobile has received the first license plate issued to a Level-3 autonomous driving passenger car in China, signaling that the market is about to enter a new stage of "compliant commercial use."

The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau's traffic management arm issued the Yu AD0001Z plate to a Changan Auto's Deepal SL03 electric sedan on Dec. 20. The self-driving auto is operated by Changan Cheliang Technology and can run on special test roads in the city, such as the inner ring expressway.

The SL03 and BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology's Arcfox Alpha S were the first L3 autonomous driving EVs cleared for conditional operation on public roads in Beijing and Chongqing on Dec. 15.

As the first vehicle in the pilot program, the SL03's core objective is to complete the safety closed-loop verification and promote the maturation of industry standards, rather than pursue a tech ceiling, Changan Auto noted. The car can be launched for end users after the release and implementation of related national regulations and policies, it added.

Changan Auto plans for its main brands Avatr, Deepal, and Qiyuan to gradually introduce L3 self-driving models. The technology can be extended to models in the CNY150,000 (USD21,305) price range as it develops.

Editor: Martin Kadiev