China Bans Terms “Self-driving” and “Smart Driving” in Car Ads

The Chinese government has issued an order banning the use of the terms “self-driving” and “smart driving” in car advertising in the country. The drastic move comes weeks after a fatal accident involving a Xiaomi SU7.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology held a meeting with nearly 60 representatives of automotive companies yesterday before issuing the order. In addition to banning the use of the two terms in ads, the ministry is also tightening up testing on ADAS systems and requiring prior approval from authorities before updates are rolled out to customers’ cars.

In a crash that killed three people in March, the Xiaomi SU7’s self-driving system was detected being overridden by the driver moments before it hit a concrete curb on the side of the road. Despite the crash occurring at 60 mph (97 km/h), no passengers survived and the electric vehicle then burst into flames.