Biden Administration Wants to Ban Chinese, Russian Smart Car Tech

USA plans to ban Concerns have been raised over the use of Chinese and Russian-made software and hardware in connected cars, saying foreign rivals could use these components to collect data on Americans and hack vehicles.

The proposed regulations were first reported as follows: Reuters On Monday, importing or using software from specified countries will be banned starting with model year 2027 vehicles, with similar hardware restrictions for connected vehicles starting with model year 2030.

In recent years, cars have become increasingly reliant on in-car computers and equipped with features that require internet connectivity, making them a privacy and security nightmares.

The Commerce Department’s proposed rules specifically ban the import or sale of autonomous driving systems and vehicle connectivity systems that allow vehicles to connect to the internet or other networks via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular systems or satellite.

“Certain hardware and software in connected vehicles enable information about geographic areas or critical infrastructure and present opportunities for malicious actors to disrupt the operations of the infrastructure or the vehicles themselves,” the White House said in a statement. “(The Department of Commerce) has found that certain technologies used in connected vehicles from (the People’s Republic of China) and Russia pose particularly acute threats. These concerning countries could use critical technologies in our supply chains for surveillance and sabotage to undermine national security.”

The Automotive Innovation Alliance, an industry group representing automakers, said connected cars in America include “very little technology” from China, but some automakers will struggle to meet the Commerce Department’s proposed timeline for phasing out those components.

“You can’t change the world’s most complex supply chain overnight,” the alliance’s CEO, John Bozzella, said in a statement. “The lead time in the proposed rule will allow some automakers to make the necessary transition, but it may be too short for others.”

This is the second major trade regulation the White House has announced in the past few months aimed at limiting China’s dominance of the American auto market. The Biden administration in May It was announced It increased the customs duty rate on electric vehicles imported from China from 25 percent to 100 percent, and the customs duty rate on batteries and battery components used in electric vehicles from 7.5 percent to 25 percent.

Chinese automakers are increasingly threatening America’s dominance in the industry. Last year, global sales of Chinese automakers surpassed those of U.S. manufacturers for the first time, with 11.9 million units sold compared with 13.4 million, according to one study. analysis By research firm Jato Dynamics.