China Bans Autonomous Car Ads And Beta Testing

MIIT has outlawed confusing ads touting “smart driving” tech and banned remote-summon features and public beta tests

                                        https://www.carscoops.com/author/chris-chilton-cc/                                    

Imagine if every automaker used a different metric to quote acceleration times. Some might have used 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h), as they do now, or just 0-124 mph (0-200 km/h) – which they also do on their fastest cars – and others an arbitrary speed that would make it impossible to compare models and work out which is faster. That’s where we’re at with driver-assistance tech right now, but China is taking the wheel and doing something about it.

Clearer Standards, Fewer Buzzwords

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has introduced a raft of rules that restrict what driver-assist tech brands can sell and how they advertise it, including outlawing popular terms like “smart driving,” “autonomous driving” and “intelligent driving” that are commonly used in the promotion of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Instead, brands must make clear where the tech sits on the SAE’s six levels of autonomous driving by using the appropriate L-code. Level 0 means no driver assistance whatsoever, and Level 5 is a fully autonomous car. Other than Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot, which is a Level 3 system, almost all other tech available currently is Level 2, and that includes Tesla’s Full Self-Driving.

More: First Fatal Xiaomi SU7 Crash Sparks Questions About Self-Driving Tech And Locked Doors

If you’re a regular Carscoops reader chances are you’re already familiar with the SAE codes, which were created years ago precisely to cut through the confusion. But many consumers aren’t aware of them and automakers often don’t seem interested in getting buyers acquainted by using the codes in their adverts, either.

The other big changes announced by the MIIT, according to Car News China, include a ban on remote-summon features like Tesla‘s Actually Smart Summon seen in the video below, which allow cars to move without a driver needing to be behind the wheel, and which is the subject of an investigation in the US.

The MIIT also demands that driver monitoring systems can’t be disabled, and insists that cars slow down, pull over or activate the hazard lights if the driver’s hands haven’t been detected on the wheel for 60 seconds.

Public beta testing of new ADAS features via software rollouts is also now banned, and the MIIT wants brands to reduce the frequency of OTA updates. All of these measures come into force only weeks after a high-profile accident in China in which three people died. The driver reportedly crashed his Xiaomi SU7 into a pole at 60 mph only seconds after taking back control from the EV’s semi-autonomous system.They also arrive at a time when China’s car industry is ramping up the abilities of its ADAS tech and heavily promoting it to help sell new cars.

Should the West Follow Suit?

So, what does this mean for the rest of the world? Should the West take a page from China’s book and impose similar restrictions and changes? Drop a comment below this post and let us know if you think Chinese authorities are being over-cautious or just sensible and whether these rules will set back the development of truly autonomous cars.