(Yicai) Dec. 14 -- German luxury auto manufacturer BMW has been given the green light to test its Level Three self-driving vehicles, which only require human intervention in particular conditions, in certain parts of Shanghai, including on designated expressways.

BMW will launch its L3 autonomous driving cars in China when the time is right to meet consumer demand for advanced smart driving, the Munich-based carmaker said on its WeChat account today. The new China-made BMW 5 Series with a longer wheelbase that gives passengers more leg room can be upgraded to L3 unmanned driving, it added.

BMW’s L3 self-driving vehicles have already been certified by German road traffic authority Das Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt and deliveries to customers in Germany will start in spring next year.

China will launch the mass production of intelligent connected vehicles, four government departments said on Nov. 17. ICVs that meet the conditions for mass production and are certified for L3 or L4 unmanned driving can start pilot operations in designated areas once they have obtained permits.

China had 20,000 kilometers of roads available for self-driving tests as of August, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology data. Some smart cars with autonomous driving functions have passed a number of tests, and some already meet the conditions for mass production.

Editor: Kim Taylor