Smart driving new energy vehicles will have dedicated insurance

This report (Reporter Pan Fuda) announced yesterday that the Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau has launched the development and application of commercial insurance for smart connected new energy vehicles during the “Major Achievements Special Session” at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum Annual Meeting. This marks a key step for the insurance industry in serving new quality productive forces and supporting the accelerated development of the smart connected vehicle industry.

In recent years, the smart connected vehicle industry has developed rapidly, with cutting-edge technologies such as intelligent driving being widely applied. The existing commercial motor vehicle insurance can no longer accurately adapt to the unique usage scenarios and hardware and software equipment losses of smart connected vehicles. Beijing will concentrate industry efforts and take the lead in the country to initiate the development and application of commercial insurance for smart connected new energy vehicles.

Currently, the China Insurance Industry Association is organizing industry professionals to develop exclusive insurance products, optimizing and upgrading based on the existing new energy vehicle insurance, clarifying concept definitions, standardizing clause expressions, and expanding coverage content. This aims to achieve uniform adaptation for L2 to L4 level smart connected new energy vehicles, with more comprehensive coverage responsibilities, sufficient coverage amounts, and more considerate insurance services.

Beijing will adhere to the principles of “lawful compliance, controllable risk, pioneering trials, and continuous improvement,” promoting various tasks in phases and steps. The Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau, together with the China Insurance Industry Association, the China Actuarial Society, and major insurance companies, will form a special working group to concentrate industry efforts on developing exclusive product clauses, conducting rate calculations, and setting scientific and reasonable pricing; and will establish a cross-industry data exchange mechanism with China Banking Insurance Trust Company to promote insurance companies to carry out information system upgrades, ensuring the issuance and efficient claims of exclusive products.

When can car owners purchase exclusive products? A relevant official from the Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau stated that they will strive to promote all preparatory work and will launch as soon as conditions are ripe. For the L2 level assisted driving vehicles, to conduct pioneering trials prudently, the exclusive insurance product will initially be mainly applicable to new energy new cars, and car owners can choose to purchase either exclusive products or existing vehicle insurance products after buying a new car in Beijing. The Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau will promote the completion of system upgrades and data exchanges between automotive companies and the insurance industry according to the principle of “rolling out in batches as they mature,” with the Beijing Insurance Industry Association announcing the applicable automotive companies and specific models for exclusive products in batches.

For L3 and L4 level autonomous driving vehicles, those that have conducted tests or obtained formal road qualifications in the Beijing area can apply for exclusive products, which will provide comprehensive risk coverage for autonomous vehicles. Subsequently, with the accumulation of operational data and underwriting claims experience, exclusive insurance will gradually be promoted to a wider audience, allowing more car owners to purchase it as soon as possible.

The Beijing Financial Regulatory Bureau reminds car owners that “intelligent driving insurance” should not be misunderstood as “universal insurance” and must be used under conditions that ensure safety when using assisted driving functions. Insurance can only alleviate the economic compensation pressure on drivers and cannot replace legal responsibility. Recently, the Supreme Court issued guiding cases on assisted driving responsibility, clarifying that onboard assisted driving systems cannot replace drivers as the principal entity of driving. After activating the assisted driving function, the driver remains the person executing the actual driving task and is responsible for ensuring driving safety; safe driving is always the primary responsibility of every driver.

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