Major EV Makers Deny Rumor of Regulatory Summons, Pointing to AI-Generated Disinformation

A rare collective refutation occurred within the automotive sector. In response to widespread online claims suggesting "8 new energy vehicle manufacturers were collectively summoned for talks and 3 were placed under investigation due to OTA battery-locking," leading companies including Byd Company Limited, Tesla Motors, XPeng Inc., Li Auto, NIO Inc., GAC Aion, Zeekr, and AITO almost simultaneously issued statements clarifying that they had not been summoned or investigated, labeling the rumors as completely false. Several automakers directly identified the source of the misinformation: artificial intelligence generating fake news in bulk.

The origin of this episode traces back to alarming complaint data. Reports indicate that in March 2026, complaints regarding automaker OTA battery-locking on the national 12315 platform exceeded 12,000, a 273% year-on-year increase. "Battery-locking" refers to manufacturers modifying battery management system parameters via remote OTA updates without consumer consent, limiting charging capacity and power output, leading to significantly reduced range and slower charging. Owners reported instances where a vehicle's advertised 510-kilometer range dropped below 300 kilometers after a nighttime OTA update, with fast-charging times extending from 40 minutes to over an hour. Subsequent media reports claimed regulators had summoned 8 involved automakers for talks, with 3 facing investigations for violations, and 2 having withdrawn controversial update packages while pledging performance restoration.

The issue is that the original reports did not disclose the specific list of companies summoned or investigated. This official information vacuum created space for AI to "complete" the picture. When users queried an online AI about the list of "summoned" automakers, it generated a roster including Byd Company Limited, Tesla Motors, Li Auto, XPeng Inc., NIO Inc., AITO, GAC Aion, and Geely's Zeekr. Screenshots of this seemingly "prestigious" list rapidly spread across social platforms, causing significant volatility in the stock prices and brand reputation of the named companies. However, the situation has now completely reversed, with multiple automakers stating they were not summoned and attributing the incident to AI-generated disinformation.

Investigations reveal the false information followed a complete evolution chain: real data -> media reports -> missing key details -> AI algorithm generating a list -> widespread social media dissemination -> negative impact -> collective corporate denials. In the absence of an official list, the AI model autocompleted the information based on context, and this content was subsequently misconstrued as an authoritative conclusion upon secondary传播.

Faced with the AI-generated rumor list, several automakers swiftly issued clear denials.

Byd Company Limited was among the first to respond. On the evening of May 8th, its anti-rumor office released an official statement via Weibo: "Recently, false online rumors about 'Byd Company Limited being summoned for talks and investigated' have appeared. This content is entirely fabricated. Certain online accounts are maliciously spreading false information, deliberately misleading public perception and disrupting the online舆论 environment." The company stated it had collected evidence and would pursue legal action against the rumor-mongers. Li Yunfei, General Manager of Byd Company Limited's Brand and Public Relations Department, later reposted the statement, reiterating the legal pursuit.

XPeng Inc. not only denied being "summoned" but also pointed to the source. Its legal department stated: "Certain social media accounts, using AI applications, have maliciously hyped information about '8 new energy vehicle makers being collectively summoned' and '3 facing investigations for涉嫌 violations,' including our company in the list, causing severe damage to our brand and reputation. Verification confirms our company has not recently received any such so-called 'summons' mentioned in the false information, nor is there any investigation. The company has collected evidence from relevant rumor creators and spreaders and will pursue their legal liability."

GAC Aion's legal department responded via its official Weibo, stating that the online information about being summoned or investigated for OTA "battery-locking" was completely fabricated. The company stated it had never been summoned by authorities regarding such matters and was not under investigation. GAC Aion added it had immediately initiated evidence preservation and account tracing and would hold the rumor creators legally accountable.

Zeekr's legal department also expressed outrage at the AI-generated rumors: "Recently, the company noted a batch of social media accounts maliciously hyping information about '8 new energy vehicle makers being summoned' and using AI software to fabricate false information about Zeekr being 'summoned,' severely damaging Zeekr's brand reputation. Zeekr has not received any such 'summons' mentioned in the false information. The company has collected and secured evidence and will protect its rights according to law."

NIO Inc. issued a brief statement via its official rumor-debunking account: "Remote battery-locking? Summoned for talks? Pure rumor!" A Tesla Motors representative responded to inquiries, calling the above消息 untrue and stating that "all software updates undergo rigorous testing and are filed." Li Auto also told media that the online information was a rumor and the company had not been summoned. The AITO user service official account also posted an announcement stating "this is false information, pure rumor," adding it had fully collected evidence on the related rumor content and would resolutely pursue legal liability.

This case serves as a warning; the harm of AI-generated rumors exceeds imagination. In high-profile, high-valuation industries like new energy vehicles, a single piece of AI-generated fake news can trigger a stock price plunge and long-term brand damage. Previously, a program exposed how "black PR" had begun using AI to rewrite articles to slander automakers, with negative reviews appearing online even for unreleased new models. During this year's consumer rights period, the "AI data poisoning" industry chain was also exposed—some firms engaged in specific services could pollute AI models and manipulate their outputs by feeding them定向 data, a tactic easily exploited for efficient promotion or slandering competitors.

Regarding the governance of AI-related chaos, regulators have早有部署. On April 30th, the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a four-month nationwide campaign titled "Clear and Bright: Rectifying Chaos in AI Applications,"推进 in two phases. The first phase focuses on issues like large model registration filing, inadequate security review capabilities, and AI data poisoning. The second phase targets乱象 such as using AI to generate "digital garbage," creating and publishing false information, and impersonating others. Previously, the administration has处置 over 3,500 non-compliant AI products,清理 over 960,000 pieces of illegal information, and处置 over 3,700 accounts.

Returning to the "summoned for talks" incident itself, a pertinent question remains: amidst the collective corporate denials, which automakers regulators actually summoned is still unclear. Responses from multiple companies confirm one point—the vast majority of automakers included in the viral list were not summoned. However, on the other hand, the 273% year-on-year surge in "OTA battery-locking" complaints is a fact. In March, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued a "Notice on Regulating Remote Online Upgrade (OTA) Behavior for New Energy Vehicles," clearly outlining "four bottom lines":严禁 silent forced upgrades,严禁 battery-locking and performance reduction,严禁 concealing defects to evade recalls, and requiring all OTA upgrades to be fully filed and subject to supervision. In other words, regulatory action is indeed underway, but the named list is not the "full roster" generated by AI. In the vacuum of official information disclosure, AI filled a gap it should not have, using sophisticated algorithms to process and generate a seemingly plausible falsehood.