Two different things often get lumped together as “self-driving”. Hands-off systems (Level 2) steer, brake and accelerate on suitable roads, but the driver must keep watching the road and stays responsible. Eyes-off systems (Level 3) drive the car within strict conditions so the driver can look away, but must take back control when asked. This tracker sets out where each stands in China and the UK, as of November 2026. Robotaxis and driverless services are covered separately in our self-driving section.
Where it is in China
Level 3: first approvals, tightly limited. On 15 December 2025 the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) gave the first Level 3 product approvals for ordinary passenger cars to two electric saloons:
- Changan Deepal SL03: single-lane driving in congested traffic up to 50 km/h (about 31 mph), on named expressways in Chongqing.
- BAIC Arcfox Alpha S: single-lane driving up to 80 km/h (about 50 mph), on named expressways in Beijing.
Both run as pilot programmes on designated roads only. Electrive notes that local approval is still needed for each new area. In October 2026 an MIIT official said work on a second batch of approvals was under way, CnEVPost reports, but no makers, models or dates were named.
New national rules. China is putting binding standards around both levels:
- A mandatory national standard for Level 2 “combined driver assistance” was announced on 2 July 2026 and takes effect on 1 January 2027. It covers single-lane, multi-lane and navigation-assisted systems, and sets requirements for functions, data recording, the maker’s safety guarantees, how the car communicates with the driver, user instructions and user training.
- A separate mandatory standard for Level 3 and Level 4 systems, announced in August 2026, takes effect on 1 July 2027. CnEVPost reports that it requires safety at least equivalent to a competent, attentive human driver, and that Level 3 systems must monitor whether the driver is able to take over.
- MIIT also proposed in October 2026 that cars with Level 3 or higher systems may carry optional turquoise exterior lights that show when the system is driving. That proposal would apply from 1 January 2028 and is not final.
Where it is in the UK
Hands-off on motorways: already legal for approved systems. The Department for Transport approved Ford’s BlueCruise in April 2023 for about 2,300 miles of pre-mapped motorway in England, Scotland and Wales, at up to 80 mph. Ford stresses the driver must keep their eyes on the road, and an infrared camera checks they do. BMW says the latest version of its Highway Assistant, approved under the UN driver-assistance regulation R171, was due to reach the UK during summer 2026 after launching in several EU countries. In both cases the driver remains responsible.
Eyes-off and self-driving: law passed, rules still being written. The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 sets the framework. The government says it will implement the Act in full in the second half of 2027, and Auto Express reported the same target from the DfT. In June 2026 the DfT opened a consultation, running to September, on the statement of safety principles that self-driving vehicles must meet. Its benchmark is a level of safety at least equal to careful and competent human drivers, and the final statement is due before Parliament in 2027. Separately, in July 2025 the government said it had fast-tracked small pilots of driverless passenger services to spring 2026.
How they compare
| China | UK | |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-off (Level 2) | On sale; mandatory national standard from 1 Jan 2027 | Allowed for approved systems, such as Ford BlueCruise (BMW said its latest was due summer 2026) |
| Eyes-off (Level 3) in private cars | Two models approved for pilots on named roads; second batch in progress | Not yet: depends on Automated Vehicles Act rules |
| Main safety benchmark | At least a competent, attentive human driver (from 1 Jul 2027) | At least careful and competent human drivers (draft principles) |
| Key date ahead | 1 Jan 2027 and 1 Jul 2027 standards | Second half of 2027, full implementation |
What it means for the UK
If you buy a Chinese car in the UK, judge its driver-assistance features by UK approval, not by what the same model does in China. China’s Level 3 approvals cover just two models, on specific roads in two cities. Any hands-off system on a UK car needs its own approval for UK roads, and you remain the driver throughout.
Both countries are converging on a similar safety yardstick, broadly “at least as safe as a good human driver”, and both have big dates in 2027. What is not yet known: which Chinese makers will seek UK approval for hands-off or eyes-off systems, how quickly China extends Level 3 beyond its pilot roads, and the detail of the UK’s authorisation process. We will update this tracker as those emerge.
