China wants automakers to check in with regulators before pushing out new software, a change that could affect how often Tesla owners in China see new features.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has opened public comments on draft changes to its vehicle market-access rules, two months after Tesla used an over-the-air (OTA) update to recall more than 2.7 million cars in China over driver monitoring.
What the draft would require
According to the MIIT notice, the revisions would set up oversight rules for software upgrades, cloud-based configuration changes and hardware upgrades carried out by automakers on road vehicles.
As Reuters explains, automakers would have to file with authorities before rolling out software updates or other changes to smart cockpit systems.
Hardware upgrades, including new automated-driving sensors and controllers, would also need to be reported ahead of time if they could affect a vehicle’s safety or energy-efficiency performance.
The package also covers external labelling on vehicles, conditional approval for small-batch models and tighter links between automaker monitoring platforms and the national vehicle safety monitoring platform.
What it means for Tesla
Tesla ships frequent OTA updates, with the biggest update of all, FSD on the horizon. Pre-filing would add a step before every update that touches the cockpit or driving software. Any future hardware change, such as a new FSD computer or camera, would also have to be reported first.
Chinese regulators already keep a close eye on Tesla. In August, Tesla was also part of China’s largest vehicle recall ever, covering nearly 3 million of its cars over emergency door releases.
Earlier this year, the MIIT also proposed mandatory physical controls for essential functions starting in 2027.
This isn’t the first time China has tightened OTA rules either. In February 2025, the ministry said autonomous driving-related OTA upgrades would need regulatory approval, aiming to stop automakers from using updates to hide defects.
Related Articles:
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- Tesla and 10 other automakers face China’s largest vehicle recall ever over door handle design
- Tesla shuts down rumours it is abandoning FSD rollout in China
- China Sets New Rules on Autonomous Driving Claims Following Fatal Xiaomi Crash
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