US proposes ban on smart vehicles with Chinese and Russian technology

Washington, DC, United States

The US Commerce Department will propose a ban on the sale or import of smart vehicles that use specific Chinese or Russian technology due to national security concerns, CNN reported on Monday, citing US officials.

While speaking to reporters in a conference call on Sunday, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said that a US government probe that started in February found various national security risks from embedded software and hardware from China and Russia in US vehicles, including the possibility of remote sabotage by hacking and the collection of personal data on drivers.

She stated, "In extreme situations, a foreign adversary could shut down or take control of all their vehicles operating in the United States, all at the same time, causing crashes (or) blocking roads."

Speaking to CNN, a senior administration official said that the rule will not be applicable to the cars already on the road in the US that already have Chinese software installed.

According to the US Commerce Department, the software ban would come into effect for vehicles for "model year" 2027 and the hardware ban for "model year" 2030.

The proposed regulatory action is part of a much broader struggle between the US and China to secure the supply chains of the key computing technology of the future, from semiconductors to AI.

US officials are worried as China, especially, has invested in the connected car market and inroads made by Chinese manufacturers in Europe.

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