U.S. Government to Ban Chinese, Russian Tech in American Cars
In a bid to be the only government allowed to harvest our data and use it against us, the Biden administration today announced a ban on certain automotive technologies “and the import of particular components themselves from countries of concern,” according to a statement released by the White House. Those countries of concern? The People’s Republic of China and Russia.
According to the statement, which cited the Department of Commerce, “vehicles’ increasing connectivity creates opportunities to collect and exploit sensitive information. Certain hardware and software in connected vehicles enable the capture of information about geographic areas or critical infrastructure, and present opportunities for malicious actors to disrupt the operations of infrastructure or the vehicles themselves. Commerce has determined that certain technologies used in connected vehicles from the PRC and Russia present particularly acute threats. These countries of concern could use critical technologies within our supply chains for surveillance and sabotage to undermine national security.”
Anyone who has ever asked Amazon’s Alexa a question about pizza rolls and then been served ads for Totino’s knows exactly what Commerce is talking about.
The news comes just four months after President Biden issued a 100 percent tariff on Chinese EVs. The ban on software would take effect for model year 2027, while hardware prohibitions would go into effect for model year 2030. “These restrictions will help address national security risks posed by connected vehicle technologies from countries of concern,” the statement said.
The rule covers any and all connectivity systems, including Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, and WiFi modules, as well as the systems and components that allow autonomous vehicles to function. For exceptional circumstances, the statement does note that the Department of Commerce is considering exemptions for “small producers of vehicles” in order to “minimize unanticipated and unnecessary disruption to industry.” Whether or not this is a wink-wink at Lotus, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese manufacturing giant Geely, is anyone’s guess, though certainly such restrictions could cripple the sports car specialist’s efforts to hawk cars in America.
As the language of the ban focuses solely on connectivity, that still leaves the door open to Chinese battery technology, which could greatly benefit the EV efforts of American carmakers given China’s role as a leader in that space. How all of this unfolds between now and 2027 will be interesting, including whether China, both a U.S. trade partner and a geopolitical adversary, issues its own restrictions on U.S. auto imports.
Sales of American cars in China have been on a downward trajectory of late, with total market share down from 12 percent to seven percent since 2020, a particular blow to General Motors. Concurrently, China overtook the U.S. as the world’s top producer of automobiles and has expanded further into new markets, particularly in Europe, where it now has 11 percent of the EV market.
Let’s face it we all are being watched, followed, observed and marketed to by our cars. Just look at the Ford info that will tell someone you are speeding.
The fact this tech and autonomy can and will be used to cover where you go, when you go, how fast you go, what way yo go depending on who controls it.
Imagine in LA you leave work at 5 pm but your autonomous slot on I5 will not open till 6 pm due to high traffic.
I’m not a tin foil hat guy but I see and know what is going on today and what we are facing in the future. I’m already working with AI and the Gaines are coming fast.
My 2025 Honda CR-V also tells me every time I go over the posted speed limit.
Russia has automotive tech?
You don’t have a vodka dispenser in your Lada?
😂🤣😂🤣
Well sure, but I always thought that was just an analog requirement leftover from Soviet times, like pushing your foot against the left front tire through a hole in the floor to slow down… Never considered those things “tech”!
Ban all Chinese technology altogether including all parts. I have a 2017 Caddy awaiting a differential made in China thanks to Generous Motors use of Chinese parts. 3 months and no part new or used is available. $5,000 for part new if it comes in and $3,000 labor. May as well crush it and send it over to GM’s front lawn at the factory in Oshawa. Never again will I buy GM. Completely useless company.
This technology ban will lock Chinese manufacturers out of America, making the tarrifs moot. A win for the Americal auto industry, a loss for consumers.
So the component suppliers are going to divorce themselves from cheap Chinese manufacturing? I really doubt it.
This may make it more of a challenge, but how do you make sure malware is not slipped in wherever the chips are manufactured?
Not only when the chips are manufactured but via designed backdoors that are used when software updates are provided to correct a defect or via Bluetooth. Lack of security and independent penetration testing have been issues in the IT industry for over 20 years.
New Bull market coming coming for older low tech cars without connectivity. On the way to the junk yard asap.
We’re already seeing that in Diesel’s. Older trucks and tractors that don’t use DEF are increasing significantly in value.
Gee, I feel pretty safe driving my 1966 VW Bug. I do, however, have to avoid bad drivers
Not a comment but a question. Is there a specific year beyond which no security conscious motorist purchase a vehicle. Is there a common nexus between good old analog and way-too-connected? I’m thinking my next vehicle purchase may be older rather than newer, provided the line in front of me isn’t too long.
Any vehicle with connectivity to the internet or Bluetooth to your phone can narc on you. Services like Onstar and others can also be hacked. My 2004 Corvette has no Onstar, has the old Delco stereo with absolutely no bluetooth. Can’t use my iPhone to command anything on my car( remote start, power door locks etc.). It is completely off the grid. That’s the kind of vehicle you need to have to be invisible. Your own smart phone is a gateway to your vehicle’s systems.
I’m tending to agree with hyperv6, Fred Brooks and others who are kind of saying that if someone wants info on my driving badly enough, they’re going to find a way to get it (or already have it). The part I’m struggling with is this: what the hell would the Russians or Chinese (or North Koreans, or Iranians, or ______) WANT with information about my driving? What possible value is there in them finding out if I took Highway 20 or Highway 44 yesterday? What are they gonna do, retarget a couple of ICBMs to home in on me going to get groceries?
In short, unless I’m transporting nuclear material secrets or high-ranking diplomats, what national security sensitive data can possibly be gleaned by implanting spyware in my stereo, for goodness sake?
This used to bother me. I defeated the OnStar in my last GM vehicle. Now I drive a Chinese made Tesla. Let them spy on me. I’ve got nothing to hide and they probably couldn’t care less about someone like me anyway. There’s 6 million Teslas on the roads and millions more connected cars. They can’t watch us all.
Maybe “they” can’t watch us all but AI certainly can. Knowing which route any one of us is on wouldn’t be worth anything but knowing when a large number of us are gathered would be invaluable to a terrorist organization. I agree with banning software from unfriendly organizations (including our own) but don’t see the benefit of banning the hardware other than simple quality. This calls to mind the wifi equipped container cranes at shipping ports being replaced. The wifi? Of course a possible vulnerability but the steel??
Why wait till 2027 and 2030? This gives them years to act bad. Bring it home now and buy American! Sneaky Joe, who is getting the kick back from Lotus?
I dunno all this seems like “Paranoia” to me– &–a 100% tariff– Is that just to protect the Massive Profits of American companies?
tit for Tat tariffis will just cost us a lot more when we buy stuff–& hurt out Economy-