Chinese automakers have recently modified how they promote autonomous driving features after the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last month banned the use of exaggerated or misleading terms in advertising.
Chinese media outlet ITHome reported on Tuesday that Li Auto, Nio, Avatr, Xiaomi and XPeng have recently revised how they promote autonomous driving features, adjusting messaging across social media, websites, and in-person sales communications.
Tesla was also forced to rename its “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software package in late March to “Intelligent Assisted Driving.”
In a closed-door meeting with around 60 automotive industry representatives, the Ministry advised companies in mid-April to avoid terms such as “smart driving,” “autonomous driving,” and “self-driving,” and instead use “combined assisted driving” to prevent exaggerated or misleading advertising.
Currently, intelligent driving systems remain at Level 2 (L2), meaning drivers must stay alert and be prepared to take control at any time.
Xiaomi updated the wording on its website on Monday, replacing “Smart Driving” with “Assisted Driving.”
Other names were also adjusted such as “Xiaomi Smart Driving Pro” to “Xiaomi Assisted Driving Pro” and “Xiaomi Smart Driving Max” to “Xiaomi End-to-End Assisted Driving.”
At the launch event of the 2025 X9 MPV, XPeng’s founder and CEO He Xiaopeng replaced the term “autonomous driving” with “intelligent assisted driving.”
Citing a company product manager, the report said the carmaker may assign staff to accompany test drives to help customers understand the system’s limitations and user responsibilities.
Nio, meanwhile, has differentiated smart driving capabilities across its lineup. Sales staff said the ET5 supports city Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) and includes five years of complimentary access, while the newly launched Firefly model features only Lane Centering Control (LCC) and does not emphasize smart driving, targeting commuters and family users.
According to the report, only the Huawei-backed NEV maker Aito continues to actively promote its smart driving functions. A salesperson said models equipped with Huawei’s technology support “up to 90 seconds of hands-free highway driving” and offer features such as traffic light recognition, automatic lane changes, obstacle avoidance, and parking assistance in urban settings.
