Legislation recently proposed by Congress would require the United States to conduct safety reviews for connected vehicles built by automakers in China and “other countries of concern.” Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who has championed the issue, inserted the invoice on Wednesday.
If passed by Congress (a tall order these days), the Connected Vehicle National Safety Review Act would establish a formal review process for connected cars from Chinese companies. It would also allow the Commerce Department to limit or ban these cars and other vehicles before they reach American consumers.
“Today's vehicles are more sophisticated than ever, carrying cameras, radar and other sophisticated sensors, as well as the ability to process, transmit and store the data they collect from the United States,” Slotkin said. “If allowed into our markets, Chinese connected vehicles offer the Chinese government a trove of valuable intelligence about the United States, including the potential to gather information about our military bases, critical infrastructure such as the power grid and traffic systems. , and even locate specific places. American leaders if they choose.”
in a speech On the House floor earlier this month, Slotkin noted that Chinese electric vehicles, which often sell much cheaper than their American and European counterparts, could quickly gain significant share of the American market. He cited how Chinese vehicles, first sold in Europe in 2019, now account for almost a quarter of its market. The representative also recently pressed Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the security breach.
Alternatively (and perhaps ideally), lawmakers could pass a comprehensive data privacy law rather than addressing these issues piecemeal.
The introduction of the bill follows the Biden Administration's quadrupling of import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. The White House's new EV taxes increased from 25 percent to 100 percent, after China's EV exports increased 70 percent between 2022 and 2023.
In February, the White House also directed the Commerce Department to investigate connected vehicle risks from China and other adversaries. However, that action was carried out by executive order and could be undone by future administrations. Slotkin's legislation would close those loopholes if it can pass Congress, which is rarely a sure bet in today's highly filibustered and contentious political environment.
