China prohibits misleading ads promising ‘Smart Driving’ and ‘Autonomous Driving’

News, 21 April 2025

In a broad regulatory attempt to strengthen monitoring of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), assisted driving and over-the-air (OTA) upgrades, China is prohibiting the use of phrases like “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” in automobile ads.

Last week’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) in meeting with around 60 automotive representatives confirmed the decision, which comes amid mounting safety concerns following a fatal accident involving Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan in March early this year.

Automakers will now have to get government clearance before releasing remote upgrades that change driving-related features in cars that have already been sold. The MIIT said in an official statement that it had provided clarification on new regulations pertaining to OTA upgrades for connected and intelligent vehicles that were released in February. Huawei, which provides ADAS to Chinese companies like Audi, was one of the participants at the private meeting.

Marketing plans may be severely impacted by the new advertising limits. To obtain an advantage in a highly competitive market, Chinese automakers have been actively marketing ADAS-enabled cars, frequently claiming that they have “smart driving” characteristics. For example, early this year, BYD stepped up the price war by introducing more than 20 vehicles under $10,000 with free driver-assistance capabilities, which prompted competitors like Toyota and Leapmotor to do the same.