Newly proposed congressional legislation would require the U.S. to conduct safety inspections for related vehicles built by automakers from China and “other countries of concern.” Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who advocated for the issue, presented bill on Wednesday.
If passed by Congress (a tall order these days), the Connected Vehicles National Security Review Act would establish a formal vetting process for connected cars from Chinese companies. It would also allow the Commerce Department to restrict or ban these cars and other vehicles before they reach U.S. consumers.
“Today’s vehicles are more sophisticated than ever, carrying cameras, radars and other sophisticated sensors, plus the ability to process, transmit and store the data they collect from the United States,” Slotkin said. “If allowed in our markets, China-linked vehicles offer the Chinese government a treasure trove of valuable intelligence on the United States, including the potential to gather information on critical infrastructure such as our military bases, power grid and transportation systems, and even locate specific locations. US leaders should make such a choice.”
One output On the floor of the House of Representatives earlier this month, Slotkin noted that Chinese electric vehicles, which often sell for much less than their U.S. and European counterparts is rapidly gaining a significant share From the American market. He mentioned how Chinese cars sold in Europe for the first time in 2019 now make up about a quarter of its market. The representative recently pushed Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the security gap.
Alternatively (and perhaps ideally), lawmakers could adopt a comprehensive data privacy law rather than dealing with these issues piecemeal.
The introduction of the bill follows the Biden Administration Quadrupling import tariffs on Chinese electric cars. After China’s EV exports grow by 70 percent between 2022 and 2023, the White House’s new electric vehicle taxes have increased from 25 percent to 100 percent.
In February, the White House also ordered the Commerce Department to investigate the risks of related vehicles from China and other competitors. However, the move was made by executive order and could be overturned by future administrations. If Slotkin’s legislation passes Congress, it would close those loopholes — rarely a safe bet in today’s high-stakes and contentious political environment.
