Tesla found itself at the center of a new dispute surrounding its autonomous driving system. The company quietly changed the name of FSD in China just before a group of owners filed a lawsuit. Previously, the package was called Full Self-Driving. Now, Tesla uses the more cautious designation Intelligent Assisted Driving.

The conflict arose from claims by Chinese Tesla owners who assert they purchased the expensive FSD package, expecting a broader set of features. After updates were released, some buyers stated that the system's actual capabilities did not match the expectations set by marketing and the name Full Self-Driving itself.

This story is particularly sensitive for Tesla in China. The company has long used the FSD brand as one of its key selling points, but Chinese regulators are traditionally much more cautious about claims of autonomous driving. Additionally, Tesla faces increasing pressure from local competitors like BYD, Huawei, Xpeng, and Nio, who are actively promoting their own intelligent driving systems.

The renaming occurs amidst a broader transformation of the entire industry. Manufacturers are increasingly moving away from grand terms like “autopilot” and “full self-driving,” shifting to more legally safe formulations. The reason is simple: real systems still require human supervision, and grand names are increasingly becoming a source of regulatory and legal risks.

In fact, the industry is beginning to face the consequences of its own marketing promises. Many companies have spent years selling customers the idea of fully autonomous cars arriving soon. But as technology matures, it turns out there is a huge distance between impressive demonstrations and legal responsibility.

Against this backdrop, Tesla's decision looks like more than just a name change. It shows how important the battle over wording is becoming. Because in the era of software-defined cars, manufacturers have to sell not only technology but also user expectations.