Geely Auto Group’s advanced driver assistance system has received regulatory certification from European testing authorities, paving the way for vehicles equipped with this technology to hit European roads by June 2026. The company announced on March 13 that its “G-ASD” system had been granted UN R171 certification, a critical regulatory approval for operation in the European Union, as reported by Chinese media Caixin.
The name G-ASD stands for “Geely Afari Smart Driving”. It is developed by the Chongqing-based Afari Technology (Chinese name is Qianli Technology), a subsidiary of the Geely-owned Lifan Group
This certification serves as a “passport” for driver assistance systems in Europe, allowing equipped vehicles to be legally sold across all member states of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe without requiring country-by-country approval. Prior to Geely’s achievement, only BMW had obtained this certification in late 2025.
The certified system will first appear in Lotus brand vehicles in Europe this June. Lotus is a British automotive brand currently owned by Lotus Technology, which, like Geely Auto Group, is a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group.
According to Li Chuanhai, CTO of Geely Automobile Group, European regulations currently permit only highway navigation assistance functionality, while the urban navigation assistance commonly deployed in China has not yet been approved. “European regulatory authorities have stricter safety requirements, but are not opposed to new intelligent technologies. The world’s first L3 autonomous driving certified car came from Mercedes-Benz,” Li noted.
Li believes the European market resembles China’s market from several years ago, where driver assistance features were novel but gradually gained popularity and became a key factor in consumer purchasing decisions. McKinsey research indicates European consumers welcome automotive intelligence, with expectations that fully autonomous vehicles could account for 25% of European auto sales by 2035.
Other Chinese automakers are also expanding internationally with driver assistance technologies. XPeng and Nio have equipped their export models with basic driver assistance systems. Meanwhile, suppliers like iMotion (Zhixing Technology) and Zhuoyu Technology have established overseas operations to support Chinese automakers’ global expansion, developing local R&D, operations, and service capabilities in advance.
However, Chinese firms face unique challenges in exporting intelligent vehicle technology. Expert Chang Yanning from China Automotive Technology and Research Centre points out that intelligent vehicles require lifecycle services rather than being one-time sales. These systems must also collect various data to train driver assistance or autonomous driving systems, which involves data storage and cross-border transmission issues.
Geopolitical tensions also present barriers. In January 2025, the U.S. government announced plans to gradually ban Chinese-made connected vehicles and related software and hardware systems from entering the U.S. market starting in 2027. Various countries have introduced regulations governing intelligent connected vehicles, covering aspects such as road safety, data security, and import-export controls.
Despite these challenges, Geely and other Chinese firms remain optimistic about their global prospects. Li stated that Chinese companies lead in intelligent technologies like driver assistance systems, and international expansion is inevitable. Geely plans to equip its Geely, Zeekr, and Lynk & Co brand vehicles with the system for overseas markets in the future.
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