The US Commerce Department is expected to propose prohibitions on Chinese software for autonomous and connected vehicles in the coming weeks.
The Biden administration plans to issue a proposed rule that would ban Chinese software in vehicles in the United States with level 3 automation or higher. It would also entail banning autonomous vehicles manufactured by Chinese companies from being tested on US roads.
The administration also intended to propose banning vehicles with Chinese-developed modules of advanced wireless communications capabilities from US roads, the sources added.
Under the proposal, car manufacturers and suppliers would have to ensure that none of their software for connected vehicles or advanced autonomous vehicles was developed in a “foreign entity of concern” such as China, the sources said.
Security concerns
Last month, the Commerce Department announced that it planned to publish proposed rules for connected vehicles in August and expected to impose restrictions on some software made in China and other countries. A spokesperson for the Commerce Department said the measures were related to “the national security risks associated with connected technologies in connected vehicles.”
Previously, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the United States “to respect the laws of the market economy and principles of fair competition.” It argues that Chinese cars are popular around the world as they emerge from fierce market competition and are technologically innovative.
The level 3, also known as conditional driving automation, involves technology that allows drivers to engage in activities behind the wheel, such as watching films or using smartphones, but only under certain limited conditions.
In November, a group of US lawmakers raised the alarm over the collection and handling of sensitive data by Chinese companies while testing autonomous vehicles in the US. The letters state that Chinese autonomous car companies conducted test runs of more than 450,000 miles in California in the 12 months ending November 2022.
The administration feared that connected vehicles could use the driver monitoring system to eavesdrop, record passengers or take control of the vehicle itself, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stated in May.
The national security risks are quite significant. We decided to take action because this is really serious stuff.
