US Considers Ban on Chinese and Russian Car Tech
The United States is considering a ban on Chinese and Russian technology used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for modern vehicles. The proposal, put forward by the Biden administration, cites national security concerns.
The Department of Commerce’s proposal would restrict automakers from using key communication and autonomous driving systems manufactured in China or Russia. The move follows President Biden’s expressed worries about the potential for connected vehicles to collect sensitive data from drivers and infrastructure.
President Biden stated, “China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch.”
The government is concerned about the potential for foreign manipulation of vehicles through their internet and navigation systems, which could present a serious threat to national security. Reports have previously demonstrated the ability to hack into connected cars to instigate crashes. More recently, there have been accusations that Tesla remotely disabled cars exported to conflict zones.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the plans were “targeted, proactive” steps to protect the United States. “Cars today have cameras, microphones, GPS tracking, and other technologies connected to the internet,” she noted. “You can imagine the most catastrophic outcome theoretically if you had a couple million cars on the road and the software were disabled.”
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, responded that the ban unfairly targets Chinese companies. “China opposes the US’s broadening of the concept of national security and the discriminatory actions taken against Chinese companies and products,” she said.
The proposed restrictions would apply to software starting with the 2027 model year and to hardware for vehicles manufactured from January 2029, or the 2030 model year. The proposal is now in a 30-day comment period during which the public can provide feedback.
The ban follows an increase in tariffs on Chinese imports, electric vehicles (EVs), and EV batteries. U.S. and Australian governmental and military agencies are already prohibited from using certain Chinese tech firms such as Huawei for official duties.
