Shanghai (ZXZC)- By the end of August 2022, there have been 10.99 million new energy vehicles running on roads in China, representing a 65% leap compared to the year-ago level, according to a speech today delivered by Liu Zhao, vice-minister of China's Ministry of Public Security ("MPS"), at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference (“WICV”).

For the first eight months of 2022, around 3.22 million NEVs were newly registered in the world's largest auto market, doubling over the prior-year period, said Mr. Liu.

Baidu Apollo Robotaxi; photo credit: Baidu

He also noted that China is evidently moving faster on the development of automobile intelligence with Level 3 and higher level of autonomous driving technologies gradually put into application in specific scenarios and regions such as urban taxis, trunk line logistics, and terminal delivery.

Mr. Liu said the MPS supports the road tests and pilot operations of autonomous vehicles, and vigorously boosts the construction of national-level comprehensive intelligent transportation testing bases and the nation-level Internet of Vehicles Pilot Zone in Wuxi city, Jiangsu province.

The ministry has so far released over 8,200 testing license plates in 28 cities in China, and directed ICV (intelligent-connected vehicle) public road tests for 6,900 kilometers.