Domestic Electric Vehicle Infotainment System: Can Chinese-Language Infotainment Systems Be Switched to English

Many overseas customers who purchase second-hand domestic new energy vehicles from us have a primary concern: while the vehicle functions properly, all the on-board systems are in Chinese, making it impossible for them to understand the menus and alarm prompts.

The answer is: Some car models can directly switch languages, some require software Localization or other technical solutions, and there are still some models for which no reliable and verified English solution is available at present.

More importantly, switching the central control screen to English does not mean that the navigation, voice assistant, mobile app and online services can all function properly overseas.

This paper will introduce the language setting methods and common modification solutions for the infotainment systems of Chinese electric vehicles, the potential risks involved, as well as the items that overseas buyers should inspect before purchasing and exporting such vehicles.

I. First, clarify: Does it come with English pre-installed from the factory?

Export-spec models (exclusively for overseas markets) come pre-installed with multiple languages from the factory, supporting one-tap direct switching to English.

The vast majority of China-spec used cars in domestic circulation (the batch you purchased) are the domestic version:

1. A small number of new car models only have English for voice functions in their settings, while the menus, instrument displays, and fault prompts remain in Chinese;

2. For most domestic-market versions of BYD, Geely Galaxy, Haval, Deepal and other such models, there is no language switching option in the system settings bar, the UI is fixed to Chinese, and they do not natively support English.

Important note: The vehicle's infotainment system is divided into the [infotainment central control screen] and the [instrument cluster + vehicle-wide safety alerts]. Many aftermarket modifications only alter the central control unit, while the instrument cluster, ADAS warnings, and battery fault pop-ups will still remain in Chinese.

II. Three Feasible Solutions (Sorted by Recommendation)

Solution 1: CarPlay / Android Auto

No need for flashing, and the original vehicle system will not be modified.

When mirroring the phone wirelessly, the navigation, media and phone functions are all in English;

Limitation: The underlying vehicle settings (air conditioning, charging, battery parameters, fault alarms) are still in Chinese; it only supports navigation and entertainment functions and cannot translate the full vehicle menu.

Solution 2: External AI TV Box

Plug it into the original car's USB port, and an independent English Android system will be added, allowing the screen to switch between the original car's Chinese interface and the box's English interface.

Advantages: non-destructive, can be unplugged at any time to restore the original factory state, and will not affect the vehicle's OTA and warranty;

Disadvantages: You need to switch back and forth between the two systems; the ADAS and battery alerts still display in the original vehicle's Chinese, and the wiring process is cumbersome.

Solution 3: Flash English firmware via third-party flashing tool

Overseas tuning vendors reflash the adapted firmware and translate the menus and prompts into English.

1. Direct loss of remaining original factory warranty: Once the automaker detects unofficial firmware, it may refuse warranty coverage for faults related to the three electric components and the vehicle infotainment system;

2. Subsequent official OTA updates will fail, and once an update is pushed, the device may directly go black or get bricked;

3. Mismatched firmware for the instrument cluster, advanced driver-assistance system, battery management module, and infotainment system may lead to bugs or error alerts.

4. Not all vehicle models have mature firmware, and there are basically no stable flashing packages for new models.

III. Which functions may still be unavailable after being changed to English?

This is the most easily overlooked part of the entire issue.

For overseas buyers, an English interface is only the first step towards the global development of vehicle infotainment systems. What truly affects their daily user experience also includes navigation, voice control, smartphone connectivity, internet-based services and software updates.

1. The navigation map may still not be applicable for overseas regions

Some versions for the Chinese domestic market use local Chinese map and navigation services.

Even if the infotainment screen has been switched to English, the factory navigation system may still lack map coverage for Europe or other overseas markets.

The buyer shall confirm the following:

• Whether it supports the map of the target country.

• Is it possible to search for local addresses?

• Whether it is possible to plan cross-city routes.

• Whether local charging station information can be used.

• Whether the map can function properly without an internet connection.

If the factory-installed navigation system fails to meet local requirements, an assessment can be conducted to determine whether compatible mobile phone navigation or other alternative solutions are supported.

However, it cannot be assumed that all vehicles support Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or other phone screen mirroring functions, and the specific support status needs to be verified on the target vehicle.

1. The voice assistant may still only support Chinese

Converting the menu to English does not mean that the speech recognition system can also understand English.

Voice assistants may use independent speech recognition models and online services, so the languages they support are not necessarily consistent with the language of the vehicle infotainment system interface.

For example, the screen can display English, but the driver still needs to use Chinese commands to adjust the air conditioner, query navigation, or control some vehicle functions.

If English voice control is extremely important to the buyer, it should be actually tested before purchasing the vehicle, rather than judged solely based on the language settings.

1. Mobile apps may not function properly overseas

Some Chinese electric vehicles rely on the manufacturers' mobile apps to provide functions such as remote air conditioning control, vehicle status checking, charging information and vehicle location tracking.

These features may require specific accounts, phone numbers, application versions, or server support.

Therefore, even if the infotainment system interface has completed English Localization, the mobile App may still be unable to register or bind the vehicle in the target country.

Before purchasing, it is recommended to confirm the following:

• Whether the official App can be downloaded in the target country.

• Whether a mainland Chinese phone number is required.

• Is the vehicle required to be bound to the original owner's account?

• Whether the remote control function can be used overseas.

• Whether additional data services are required.

For used cars, it is also necessary to confirm whether the original owner has unbound the account, so as to avoid the failure to use relevant functions normally after the vehicle is delivered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will all the text become English after flashing the firmware?

A1: Not necessarily. Many firmware versions only translate the central control infotainment pages, while the instrument cluster, fault warnings, and charging pop-ups remain in Chinese; it is very difficult to achieve complete Localization for safety-related modules.

Q2：Will flashing the device affect the battery or the three-electric system?

A2: Flashing modifies the infotainment system software. Theoretically, it does not directly access the underlying layer of the battery BMS, but manufacturers uniformly classify this as software modification, which will void the warranty. In extreme cases, system conflicts may trigger abnormal error reports.

Q3: Is CarPlay free? Is it supported by all Chinese-made electric vehicles?

A3: It depends on the car model. Many BYD and Geely models sold in China have CarPlay disabled by the factory; some models can activate it via a dongle, and the specific model needs to be confirmed separately.