The technology behind self-driving cars has advanced in recent years, but the vehicles still have a long way to go before becoming a common feature on the roads, said an executive from a a major Chinese automaker.

Some of the hurdles impeding self-driving cars include legal restrictions, people's mobility habits, and technology that's still changing and maturing, Feng Xingya, president of Guangzhou Automobile Group or GAC, said on Monday at CNBC's East Tech West conference in the Nansha district of Guangzhou city, China.

"A self-driving system is a developing concept," Feng said in Mandarin translated by CNBC. He added that the technology behind such vehicles are still being developed, with breakthroughs coming in batches.