The U.S. may place a ban on Chinese software in self-driving and connected vehicles, with the Biden administration expected to propose such rules in the coming weeks.
According to a report from Reuters citing sources briefed on the matter, the U.S. Commerce Department is looking to propose banning Chinese software in autonomous and connected vehicles this month. The rule would ban any Chinese software in U.S. vehicles with Level 3 or higher autonomous capabilities, effectively banning self-driving tests for companies from China.
Level 3 autonomous driving would allow drivers to take their focus off the road and even perform other activities unless otherwise prompted to take over driving by the vehicle. The sources also say the rule would require automakers and suppliers to confirm to regulators that their connected vehicle and Level 3 software platforms weren’t developed in a “foreign entity of concern,” such as China.
On Sunday, a spokesperson from the Commerce Department said the agency was “concerned about the national security risks associated with connected technologies in connected vehicles.”
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The rule is expected to come from the department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the department says that the requirement “will focus on specific systems of concern within the vehicle,” adding that “industry will also have a chance to review that proposed rule and submit comments.”
The Commerce Department initially said last month that it was considering imposing certain limits on some Chinese software, as well as those from other countries considered adversaries.
“Only division of labor and cooperation can bring mutual benefits, and only fair competition can bring technological progress,” said a spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C. in response to the expected proposal “China urges the U.S. to earnestly abide by market principles and international trade rules, and create a level playing field for companies from all countries. China will firmly defend its lawful rights and interests.”
Last Wednesday, the White House and State Department held a meeting with officials from around the world to “jointly address the national security risks associated with connected vehicles,” according to the department. The meeting also included details about the administration’s plans to propose the rule.
The conference included officials from the U.S., Canada, Australia, the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Spain, India, South Korea, and Japan, who “exchanged views on the data and cybersecurity risks associated with connected vehicles and certain components.”
The topic of national security risks surrounding connected vehicles has been around for quite some time, with a group of legislators last November bringing forward concerns that Chinese companies could collect and misuse sensitive data in autonomous vehicle tests.
“The national security risks are quite significant,” said Gina Raimondo, Commerce Secretary, in a statement in May. “We decided to take action because this is really serious stuff.”
The news comes after the U.S. increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in May, in order to stave off cheap competitors to U.S.-built products. The EU lodged also launched tariffs on Chinese EVs last month, and Canada is considering similar legislation.
It also comes as multiple companies have gained approval to test autonomous driving tech in China, including domestic makers Nio, BYD, Changan Auto, GAC, SAIC, BAIC BluePark, China FAW Group, SAIC Hongyan, and Yutong Bus. Over the weekend, Mercedes-Benz became the first foreign company to gain approval for Level 4 autonomous driving tests in China, and Tesla is expected to gain full approval for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised later this year.
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What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla has adjusted the functionality of a crucial climate feature as Winter weather has started to arrive throughout some parts of the United States. The new feature was highly requested by owners.
Tesla has a Cabin Overheat Protection feature that helps keep the temperature regulated if it reaches a certain threshold. Inversely, it can be used in cold weather as well, which will automatically warm the cabin if it sinks to a temperature that is too low for the owner’s comfort.
This is a great way to keep the cabin either warmed up just enough or cooled down just enough so that it never gets too hot or too cold. Extreme temperatures could damage certain parts of the vehicle or damage personal belongings that are kept inside the car.
Overheat protection is a great thing to have in hot climates like Arizona or Texas, especially with the Premium trims of the Model 3 and Model Y, which feature a glass roof.
Many owners appreciate the feature, but they argue that using it at home will utilize too much energy, especially during extreme temperatures. For a while, many Tesla fans have requested an option to disable this feature when the car is parked at home, which the company recently added, according to Not a Tesla App.
The feature is part of Software Version 2025.44.3, and the release notes state:
“You can now choose Exclude Home when Cabin Overheat Protection or No A/C is enabled.”
Tesla has been great at listening to what owners want with new features, and this is one that will reserve some charge and prevent unnecessary utilization of available power, especially as the car is parked at home. If owners want to condition the cabin or get the car ready for operation with a comfortable interior, they can utilize the Tesla app to adjust the climate.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed today on the social media platform X that legacy automakers, such as Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, do not want to license the company’s Full Self-Driving suite, at least not without a long list of their own terms.
“I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy,” Musk said on X. “When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless.”
I’ve tried to warn them and even offered to license Tesla FSD, but they don’t want it! Crazy …
When legacy auto does occasionally reach out, they tepidly discuss implementing FSD for a tiny program in 5 years with unworkable requirements for Tesla, so pointless. 🤷♂️
🦕 🦕
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2025
Musk made the remark in response to a note we wrote about earlier today from Melius Research, in which analyst Rob Wertheimer said, “Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is,” in terms of autonomy and self-driving development.
Wertheimer believes there are hundreds of billions of dollars in value headed toward Tesla’s way because of its prowess with FSD.
A few years ago, Musk first remarked that Tesla was in early talks with one legacy automaker regarding licensing Full Self-Driving for its vehicles. Tesla never confirmed which company it was, but given Musk’s ongoing talks with Ford CEO Jim Farley at the time, it seemed the Detroit-based automaker was the likely suspect.
Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates FSD licensing offer for other automakers
Ford has been perhaps the most aggressive legacy automaker in terms of its EV efforts, but it recently scaled back its electric offensive due to profitability issues and weak demand. It simply was not making enough vehicles, nor selling the volume needed to turn a profit.
Musk truly believes that many of the companies that turn their backs on FSD now will suffer in the future, especially considering the increased chance it could be a parallel to what has happened with EV efforts for many of these companies.
Unfortunately, they got started too late and are now playing catch-up with Tesla, XPeng, BYD, and the other dominating forces in EVs across the globe.
Tesla is backtracking on a strange adjustment it made to its in-car Navigation feature after numerous complaints from owners convinced the company to make a change.
Tesla’s in-car Navigation is catered to its vehicles, as it routes Supercharging stops and preps your vehicle for charging with preconditioning. It is also very intuitive, and features other things like weather radar and a detailed map outlining points of interest.
However, a recent change to the Navigation by Tesla did not go unnoticed, and owners were really upset about it.
For trips that required multiple Supercharger stops, Tesla decided to implement a naming change, which did not show the city or state of each charging stop. Instead, it just showed the business where the Supercharger was located, giving many owners an unwelcome surprise.
However, Tesla’s Director of Supercharging, Max de Zegher, admitted the update was a “big mistake on our end,” and made a change that rolled out within 24 hours:
The naming change should have happened at once, instead of in 2 sequential steps. That was a big miss on our end. We do listen to the community and we do course-correct fast. The accelerated fix rolled out last night. The Tesla App is updated and most in-car touchscreens should…
— Max (@MdeZegher) November 20, 2025
The lack of a name for the city where a Supercharging stop would be made caused some confusion for owners in the short term. Some drivers argued that it was more difficult to make stops at some familiar locations that were special to them. Others were not too keen on not knowing where they were going to be along their trip.
Tesla was quick to scramble to resolve this issue, and it did a great job of rolling it out in an expedited manner, as de Zegher said that most in-car touch screens would notice the fix within one day of the change being rolled out.
Additionally, there will be even more improvements in December, as Tesla plans to show the common name/amenity below the site name as well, which will give people a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at a Supercharger.
Tesla adjusts crucial feature as winter weather arrives
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends rivals dire warning about Full Self-Driving
