Has Tesla been caught for false advertising in China?

Nothing has been spared Tesla lately! Here’s the manufacturer forced to rename its driver assistance systems.

Tesla has officially changed the names of its driver assistance systems in China, affecting Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving (FSD), after being summoned by Chinese authorities for a minor formal issue but with a significant underlying issue of false advertising.

In a message addressed to Tesla owners in China, the company explained that these adjustments aim to “better serve the Chinese market and comply with current national regulations”. Here are the new designations:

“Autopilot automatic assisted driving” becomes “Assisted Driving”.
“Basic Assisted Driving” retains its name.
“Enhanced Autopilot” (EAP) becomes “Enhanced Assisted Driving”.
“Full Self-Driving Capability” (FSD), previously renamed “FSD Intelligent Assisted Driving”, becomes “Intelligent Assisted Driving”.

Tesla has officially adjusted the naming of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature. (Image 1 vs. Image 2)

The English terms have been removed and replaced with full Chinese descriptions, better aligning with the usage habits of Chinese consumers. The core technology and… pic.twitter.com/fExlEZH67p
— xiaoteshushu (@xiaoteshushu) March 25, 2025

Tesla clarified that these name changes do not affect the systems’ functionalities nor the rights of customers who have already purchased FSD or EAP. The features remain the same; only the terminology has been revised.

Chinese authorities, increasingly vigilant about terms like “autonomous” or “auto-driving,” have considered that these labels could mislead users. Indeed, it is inaccurate to describe a system as “autonomous driving” as long as human supervision is necessary. Tesla, whose systems still require driver attention and intervention, needed to adjust its terminology to avoid regulatory issues.

This change comes as Tesla suspended its 30-day free trial of FSD, which was initially scheduled from mid-March to mid-April. The company had not obtained the necessary government approvals before deployment, leading to the interruption of the trial. While it might seem like a minor incident, the problem runs much deeper for the automaker, which based its entire communication on the term FSD, investing millions of dollars. Truly, 2025 is not starting off strongly for Tesla!

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