Road Traffic Law amendment draft introduces first dedicated chapter on autonomous driving, clarifying automaker liability and banning false advertising

Regulation
โดย 财中社·CN·Read original
Summary · why it matters

The draft amendment to the Road Traffic Safety Law introduces for the first time a dedicated chapter with special provisions for autonomous vehicles, clarifying that when traffic violations occur while autonomous driving functions are activated, the manufacturer or importer will be responsible for handling them, and requiring that autonomous driving functions must not be falsely or exaggeratedly advertised. The draft has 9 chapters and 170 articles, and also stipulates that autonomous vehicles must pass road traffic rule compliance testing and be legally registered before hitting the road, and implements a compulsory motor vehicle traffic accident liability insurance system. Cui Dongshu, head of the Passenger Car Market Information Joint Conference of the China Automobile Dealers Association, said this legal revision clarifies primary responsibility at the legal level and resolves the long-standing pain point of liability attribution. Market reaction was mixed. Hong Kong-listed new energy vehicle makers broadly fell, with XPeng down 9.19 percent, NIO down 3.45 percent, Li Auto down 3.60 percent, and Leapmotor down 5.71 percent. Among robotaxi concept stocks, Pony AI fell 5.62 percent and WeRide fell 3.95 percent. Meanwhile, the upstream intelligent driving industry chain was relatively resilient, with Desay SV down slightly by 0.45 percent, Momenta up 5.97 percent, and Horizon Robotics up slightly by 0.53 percent.

Impact on stocks 9

Electrification & Mobility▼ · 4 stocks
NIO Inc
9866
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

New autonomous driving law clarifies liability, adding compliance burden and potential costs for automakers.

Xpeng Inc
9868
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

New autonomous driving law clarifies liability, adding compliance burden and potential costs for automakers.

Li Auto Inc
2015
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

New autonomous driving regulations may impose compliance costs and liability on automakers.

Zhejiang Leapmotor Tech Co
9863
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

New regulations add compliance burden and liability for automakers with autonomous driving features.

Robotics & Physical AI± Mixed · 3 stocks
WeRide Inc.
0800
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

Draft law clarifies liability for autonomous driving, increasing regulatory burden on robotaxi operators.

Pony AI Inc.
2026
▼ NegativeRegulationrelevance

Draft law imposes liability on manufacturers for autonomous driving violations, affecting robotaxi operators.

Horizon Robotics
9660
▲ PositiveRegulationrelevance

Clarified liability and compliance requirements could boost demand for autonomous driving technology providers.

Others▲ · 2 stocks

Theme Impact 4

Off-coverage companies 1

Momenta GlobalPrivate▲ Positive
Regulationrelevance

Law clarifies liability, potentially boosting demand for autonomous driving technology; stock up.

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