China Bans 'Self-Driving' Ads, Software Updates
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:
132-Year-Old Pyrex Plant Closes for Good After Four Shutdown Delays
Tesla Accused of Fudging Odometers to Avoid Warranty Repairs
Illinois Pipe Plant Destroyed by Fire
PODCAST: Whirlpool's Layoffs; Torpedo Bat Demand Skyrockets; TI Cuts Jobs
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Why Tesla's valuation is hard to read as Musk's EV empire falters
Prickly billionaire Elon Musk is at a crossroads with Tesla (TSLA) — and investors are shouldering the outsized risk. "I think we are in the transition phase, so it's a very critical phase for Tesla at the moment," Gradient Investments' Lisa Schreiber said on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid (watch above). On July 23, Tesla reported much weaker second quarter earnings compared to a year ago. During the earnings call, Musk cautioned about headwinds and shared that ride-hailing and autonomous features will be a key focus for the company going forward. Shares fell directly after the earnings announcement and closed down 8.2% on Thursday. Tesla remains an innovator, with robots and AI in its portfolio. Its EV business, however, is sharply declining as competition rises and backlash grows against Musk's politics. The expiration of a $7,500 federal credit for EVs won't help matters, either. "When we look at valuation, investors do not know exactly how to value [Tesla]. Is it an EV maker? Is it more than that? The thing is, it's not just an EV play anymore," Schrieber said. "But it's also not a robotaxi [and] robot company already. So we have struggles here." To Schrieber's point, Tesla's stock trades more like a hot tech player trying to take on juggernauts like Nvidia (NVDA). Shares trade at 161 times the estimated forward price to earnings. (Nvidia, with much stronger growth, trades around 55 times.) Ford (F), a pure-play automaker, trades at 9.6 times. Meanwhile, some perceive Tesla as a company that isn't sure what it wants to be when it grows up. The innovation around autonomous driving is noteworthy, but the waiting can make even the most patient investor antsy. "Especially with Tesla, we have to be a little bit careful," Schreiber said, noting that Musk has a history of huge promises but delayed launches. The robotaxi, for instance, launched this past June in Austin, Texas. William Blair analysts Jed Dorsheimer and Mark Shooter, who rate Tesla's stock at Market Perform, noted that rival company Google's (GOOG) Waymo robotaxi "represents a six-year head start." "We think the training wheels will get taken off quickly and the pace at which robotaxi scales will surprise the upside," the pair wrote. "Although maybe not to half of Americans by the end of the year." During Tesla's earnings call, Musk also discussed humanoid robots, AI, and their integration into the vehicle fleet, calling the company's cars "essentially a four-wheeled robot." "Optimus is a robot with arms and legs," he said. "So the same principles that apply to optimizing AI inference of the car applied to Optimus because they're both really robots in different forms." If Musk and Co. can deliver, investors like Schreiber will likely be among the first in line to celebrate, but for the time being, they are content to watch and wait. "I think we have to be a little bit careful here," she said. "For us to be able to be a buyer here, we would need to see some foot on the ground and we would need to see some realization first."Grace Williams is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
EV Repairs Are Cheaper Than Gas Cars, but There's a Catch, Says Study
EV Repairs Are Cheaper Than Gas Cars, but There's a Catch, Says Study originally appeared on Autoblog. A rather surprising statistic According to data from Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, sales of new electric vehicles (EVs) remain steady, even as sales during the second quarter of 2025 saw a 6.3% year-over-year dip. Overall, over 607,089 new EVs left dealer lots through the first half of 2025; a 1.5% increase year-over-year. These numbers show that new EVs are still joining the roads, which means that service departments will have more EVs to repair and maintain throughout their lifespans. However, according to a new EV Ownership Study published by CDK Global, most EV shoppers mistakenly believe EVs are more expensive to maintain. In reality, the dealer software specialists found that 53% of non-Tesla EV owners found it less expensive to service their electric car than a gas vehicle, while 41% of Tesla owners felt the same. However, while basic periodical maintenance like tires and oil changes is less frequent for electric vehicles (which is largely due to the fact that they don't have gas engines), 85% of EV owners said they had to return their vehicles to the service department for repair or maintenance within the first year of ownership. Though the study's statistics show that EV owners are taking advantage of dealer-offered services like pick-up and mobile services, CDK data revealed that it takes more time for dealers to fix an EV than the gas cars they usually fix. Per CDK, Tesla owners said they had to wait nearly 23% longer to get their cars back compared to a gas car, while non-Tesla owners reported they had to wait 34% longer. According to CDK data, most of these EV jobs take multiple days, which can burden those with tight schedules or busy lifestyles. Their data from 2023 shows that 40% of people who took their EV to get fixed had a same-day turnaround, but in 2024, that number dropped to just 28%. During the same time, the number of EV owners whose cars had to stay overnight at the shop went up from 21% to 29%. To make matters worse, CDK reported that 71% of Tesla owners said that their issues were resolved in just one visit, while just 65% of non-Tesla owners said the same. Among the non-Tesla owners who needed multiple visits to fix their issue, 52% said it took two visits, while 21% said they needed four or five visits back to the service department. 'We know dealers are prepared for EV service, but our most recent findings show EV owners are waiting longer to have their cars serviced, and it's taking multiple visits to have their issue resolved,' CDK director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst David Thomas said. 'The fact that these numbers are getting worse is not a good sign, as more non-Tesla EVs are on the road than ever before.' Final thoughts As someone who attended a vocational technical high school to train as an automotive technician, I can imagine the kind of additional training one would need to get certified for working on EVs, in addition to gasoline-powered cars. From what we know, Tesla has the advantage of having service centers that exclusively work on other Tesla EVs. However, as Tesla gives more of its market share to traditional automakers like General Motors, Ford, and even Hyundai and Honda, dealers and service departments that rely on routine maintenance jobs, such as tire, brake, and oil changes, must take on the additional task of servicing the EVs sold in their showrooms. Electric cars are still a relatively young industry compared to the petrol-powered brethren they compete against. Hopefully, these growing pains show traditional automakers that this sector is growing. EV Repairs Are Cheaper Than Gas Cars, but There's a Catch, Says Study first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 26, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump ‘really likes' TikTok— but admin warns Chinese ownership not acceptable as dead deadline looms
President Trump likes TikTok but the Chinese-owned short video app, used by some 170 million Americans, has to move to US ownership, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on Sunday. 'The President really likes TikTok, and he said it over and over again, because, you know, it was a good way to communicate with young people,' Lutnick said in an interview on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream. 'But let's face it, you can't have the Chinese have an app on 100 million American phones, that is just not okay. So, it's got to move to American ownership, it's got to move to American technology, American algorithms,' he said. 'I know the President is positive towards TikTok, if it can move into American hands.' Advertisement 3 Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday that President Trump likes TikTok because 'it was a good way to communicate with young people.: FOX NEWS Lutnick's comments follow his warning last week that TikTok will have to stop operating in the U.S. if China does not approve a deal for the app. He told CNBC on Thursday that US must control the algorithm that makes the social media platform work. Advertisement TikTok parent ByteDance has a Sept. 17 deadline to divest the platform's US assets. Last month, President Trump extended by 90 days to Sept. 17, a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of TikTok. Trump's action took place despite a 2024 law that mandated a sale or shutdown by Jan. 19 of this year if there had not been significant progress. 3 President Trump has set a Sept. 17 deadline for Chinese firm ByteDance to divest TikTok's US assets. Getty Images 'China can have a little piece or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece. But basically, Americans will have control. Americans will own the technology, and Americans will control the algorithm,' Lutnick said. Advertisement 'If that deal gets approved, by the Chinese, then that deal will happen,' he added. 'If they don't approve it, then TikTok is going to go dark, and those decisions are coming very soon.' 3 A deal that was in the works this spring that would spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm stalled. Chidori_B – A deal had been in the works this spring that would spin off TikTok's US operations into a new US-based firm, majority-owned and operated by US investors. This stalled after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump has three times granted reprieves from federal enforcement of the law that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok that was supposed to take effect in January.
