While the ramp-up of autonomous driving tools has been years in the making, China appears to be tapping the brakes on this emerging tech – or at least how it’s being portrayed.
Recent reports say China has instituted a ban on certain words being used in advertising vehicles and their automated features. Such descriptions include the terms “smart,” “self-driving” and “autonomous driving.”
Most Read on IEN:
But it doesn’t appear to end there. Reuters cited a meeting between Chinese government officials and auto industry leaders that points to new rules about technology rollouts.
Specifically, they say an updated rule will block auto companies from pushing features and improvements to their advanced driver assistance systems via software updates if those vehicles are already in operation.
Instead, says the report, automakers must get approval from the government before rolling out these driver-assistance software updates.
The changes reflect “growing concern” after several incidents caught the attention of regulators. One that’s been highly cited is a fatal incident where a Xiaomi Su7 crashed into a pole and caught fire, “seconds after the driver took over control from the ADAS,” says TechCrunch.
Chinese companies aren’t the only ones who will need to comply, however.
Tesla has already rolled out its advanced driver assistance option in China, which it calls “Full Self-Driving software.”
But because this system is not operational without human driver engagement, Chinese regulators have changed its name to “Intelligent Assisted Driving.”
This name change comes on the heels of another regulatory roadblock for Tesla, this time in the UK. There the country’s transportation department banned “most Tesla driver-assist features which claim to permit drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel.”
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.