Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has formally proposed expanding smart car-related content in driver's license examinations as autonomous driving technology spreads rapidly worldwide.
According to Chinese media outlet Guancha on Tuesday, Lei, who serves as a delegate to the National People's Congress (NPC), submitted a proposal on "jointly building a traffic safety and civilization system for the smart car era" ahead of the NPC session.
"We need to accelerate the establishment of vehicle intelligence technology standards," Lei said. "We should improve driver's license test items and expand test content into intelligent domains, gradually increasing the proportion of smart car-related material."
His proposal stems from concerns that the current driver education system fails to adequately reflect rapidly evolving smart car technology.
Smart driving assistance technology is spreading quickly in China. The penetration rate of driver assistance systems in new passenger vehicles exceeded 60% during the January-July period last year. Lei argues that as vehicle automation levels rise, drivers must understand the concept of "human-machine collaboration" and develop safe driving capabilities.
Lei also called for improvements to traffic safety regulations. He proposed penalizing drivers who take their hands off the wheel or eyes off the road while using Level 2 (partial automation) driver assistance systems. He emphasized that safety standards for Level 3-4 automation technology should also be clarified promptly, meaning legal and regulatory frameworks must keep pace with technological advancement.
Lei also addressed the need for talent development. He noted that China faces a shortage of approximately one million skilled professionals in smart, connected, and new energy vehicle sectors. He proposed formally incorporating smart car-related majors into the "national first-class science catalog" to systematically cultivate talent.
Xiaomi, which started as an electronics manufacturer, announced its entry into the electric vehicle market in 2021 and launched its first EV model, the SU7, in March last year. The SU7 outsold Tesla's Model 3 in China last year.
Xiaomi plans to invest 200 billion yuan (approximately 42.6 trillion won) over the next five years in research and development of advanced technologies including smart cars and humanoid robots.