China has stopped car manufacturers from using words like “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” in their advertisements.
This decision came after a recent accident involving a popular electric car model made by Xiaomi.
The car crashed and caught fire after the driver switched off the driving assistance system.
This raised a lot of safety concerns among the public.
The government met with about 60 car companies and told them about the new rules.
The meeting was held by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Officials told car makers that they must now test driving assistance features properly before releasing them through software updates.
Any update must be approved first, especially for cars that have already been sold to customers.
In February, new rules were introduced for smart car technology, including how features like advanced driving systems can be updated.
This recent meeting was to explain those rules more clearly to the companies.
Car brands like BYD, Leapmotor, and even international names like Toyota have been advertising these features heavily, using them to attract buyers in a competitive market.
Some of them even added such features to low-cost models to gain an edge.
Authorities also warned that companies using fake or exaggerated claims in their ads could face heavy fines or even lose their business licences.
If such false advertising leads to deadly accidents, those responsible could be sent to prison.
The rush to develop electric vehicles and driving technology in China has been fast.
Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles recently made up over half of total car sales in the country.
But with the rise in incidents and risks, regulators are now taking more steps to keep people safe.
This includes plans to improve battery standards to prevent fires and other dangers.
Some experts say the stricter rules might slow down the pace of development or increase costs.
However, it might also push smaller car makers out of the market and make room for stronger players in the long run.
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He always kept talking abouut this.I will forward this post too him.
Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!