As reported by CCTV.com, in March 2026, the national 12315 platform received a staggering 12,000-plus complaints concerning OTA (Over-the-Air) battery locking practices by car companies, representing a significant 273% surge year-on-year. This surge in complaints eventually prompted official regulatory authorities to intervene, resulting in eight car companies being summoned for interviews. Among them, three were placed under formal investigation for regulatory violations, while two voluntarily withdrew contentious software upgrade packages and pledged to restore affected vehicles to their original performance standards. The term 'battery locking' pertains to the controversial practice wherein car companies, without obtaining explicit consent from consumers, remotely adjust battery management system parameters via OTA updates or in-store software modifications. These adjustments typically involve capping the battery's maximum charge level, restricting the depth of discharge, and limiting charging/discharging power, ultimately leading to diminished vehicle range, prolonged charging times, and overall performance degradation.