US House bill would require national security reviews on connected vehicles from China

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A newly proposed congressional bill would require the US to conduct security reviews of connected cars made by automakers in China and “other countries of concern.” Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who has championed the issue, said: Introduced The bill will be introduced on Wednesday.

If passed by Congress (a big deal these days), the Connected Vehicles National Security Review Act would establish a formal review process for connected cars made by Chinese companies and allow the Commerce Department to restrict or block the sale of such cars and other vehicles before they reach American consumers.

“Today’s cars are more sophisticated than ever, equipped with cameras, radar and other advanced sensors, and capable of processing, transmitting and storing data collected from the United States,” Slotkin said. “If Chinese-made connected cars enter the U.S. market, they could provide the Chinese government with a treasure trove of valuable information about the United States, including the potential for intelligence gathering on U.S. military bases, critical infrastructure such as power grids and transportation systems, and even the location of certain leaders if the United States so desires.”

in speech Speaking on the House floor earlier this month, Slotkin said Chinese-made EVs often sell for much less than U.S. or European EVs and could quickly grab a large share of the U.S. market. She cited the example of Chinese-made vehicles that were first sold in Europe in 2019 and now account for nearly a quarter of the European market. She recently questioned Army Secretary Christine Warmuth and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the security gap.

Alternatively (and perhaps ideally), lawmakers could pass comprehensive data privacy legislation rather than addressing these issues separately.

The introduction of the bill comes after the Biden administration quadrupled import tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. The White House’s new EV tax increases from 25% to 100% in response to a 70% increase in Chinese EV exports from 2022 to 2023.

In February, the White House ordered the Commerce Department to investigate the risks of connected cars from China and other adversaries, but the action was implemented through an executive order and could be reversed by a future administration. If Slotkin’s bill passes Congress, it would close those loopholes, but in today’s highly obstructive and contentious political environment, it’s hardly a safe bet.