The US Department of Commerce cited national security concerns he suggestedto ban Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads. This would effectively exclude Chinese cars and trucks from the US market. The logic goes that connected cars – which include electric and autonomous vehicles – collect sensitive driver and passenger data. They also have cameras and sensors that power automated driving features and can record detailed information about US infrastructure.
The proposed regulation would also force U.S. and other major automakers to remove Chinese software and hardware from their vehicles in the coming years. President Joe Biden’s administration has raised concerns about data collection and possible foreign manipulation of vehicles connected to the Internet and navigation systems. The proposed bans would prevent Chinese automakers from testing self-driving cars on U.S. roads and would cover vehicle software and hardware made by Russia, and could be extended to other countries. According to the proposal, the software bans would take effect from the 2027 model year. The hardware ban would take effect in the 2030 model year or January 2029.
The Commerce Department is giving the public 30 days to comment on the proposal, and they hope to finalize it by January 20. The rules would apply to all road vehicles, excluding non-road agricultural or mining vehicles, drones and trains. The move represents a significant increase in US restrictions on Chinese vehicles, software and parts. “With such software, vehicles can be used for surveillance and controlled remotely, putting the privacy and safety of Americans on the road at risk,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. at the same time, it can cause accidents, blocking the roads”.
Relatively few Chinese-made cars or light trucks are imported into the United States. According to Raimondo, the ministry is acting now because they are already taking steps to prevent trouble. “We will not wait until our roads are filled with Chinese cars and the risk becomes extremely significant and suppliers, car manufacturers and car parts connected to China or Russia become commonplace and widespread.” It’s worth noting that almost all newer cars and trucks can be considered “connected” if they have on-board networking hardware that provides Internet access, allowing data to be shared with devices inside and outside the vehicle.
The Commerce Department said the rule would be a ban on all vehicles made in China, but would allow Chinese automakers to apply for “individual permits” for the exemptions. “We currently expect that all vehicles manufactured in China and sold in the United States will be subject to the ban,” said Liz Cannon, head of the Commerce Department’s information and communications technology office. She added that the order would force General Motors and Ford to , not to sell vehicles imported from China in the U.S. “The U.S. has ample evidence that China is planting malicious software in critical U.S. infrastructure,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said at the briefing roads, each of which has a 10-15 year lifespan, dramatically increase the risk of disruption and sabotage,” Sullivan said.
If the regulation is passed, automakers would have a year to ensure that their connected vehicle software has no ties to China, which won’t be a problem for most manufacturers. Not so with the hardware ban. Automakers would have four years to remove certain Chinese-linked hardware from their connected vehicles — such as on-board sensors, connectivity control units, antennas and chipsets that enable Bluetooth or the car’s Internet connection. The Commerce Department is considering allowing small vehicle manufacturers to apply for exemptions from the ban on a case-by-case basis to minimize unnecessary industry disruption.
However, US autonomous vehicle companies will not face the same hardware restrictions, with the proposed ban only limiting the use of Chinese software in Level 3 and 4 self-driving vehicles. In both cases, the car is able to drive itself under certain conditions, although for Level 3 systems, a human driver must take over if necessary. Autonomy companies have argued that with full control over software, potential risks associated with hardware can be reduced. Although several Chinese robotaxi startups have tested in the United States over the years — and some, such as Nullmax, Pony.ai, and WeRide, still have active testing licenses in California — most of them have felt the wind of time and abandoned their plans. with his activity. WeRide – which wanted to raise money in the US at a valuation of $5 billion – put its IPO plan on hold in August.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China urged Washington to “respect market principles and provide Chinese companies with an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment.” He believes that the ban proposed by the Department of Commerce only serves to boost American domestic electric vehicle production.
The proposed decision is one of the last major restrictions imposed by the Biden administration on the import of Chinese products into the US. The ban would complement the government’s decision to quadruple import duties on Chinese electric vehicles to 100%, saying Chinese government subsidies have artificially lowered the price of electric vehicles. The tariffs effectively bring the Chinese auto industry to its knees in the United States before it even has a chance to flood the American market with smart, cheap cars. It is worth noting that the European Union has also found that its car manufacturers are unable to compete with the prices of Chinese electric cars and is considering the introduction of its own tariffs.
Source: sg.hu
