The US intends to ban cars with Chinese autopilot

US authorities are attempting to ban the Chinese social network TikTok in their jurisdiction amid concerns about the collection of information about its citizens. They are also trying to stop all similar methods of possible “espionage.” For this reason, a ban is being prepared on the operation in the United States of vehicles using autopilot systems developed in China or created in other unfriendly countries.

Image source: Xpeng

Informed sources told Reuters that the US Department of Commerce will come up with relevant initiatives in the coming weeks. If the proposed amendments to US legislation are adopted, then the operation of vehicles with software with a level of autonomy of the third and higher, developed in China or other unfriendly countries, will be prohibited in the country. At the same time, it will be prohibited to test such vehicles in the United States. Since Chinese software is mainly used on Chinese cars, such a ban would be another barrier to Chinese electric vehicles entering the US market, in addition to increasing customs duties in the near future.

As a related initiative, a proposal is being considered to ban the use of automotive systems based on Chinese-made data communications in the United States. Essentially, this could limit access to US roads for cars that are not related to Chinese brands and Chinese software developers. US regulators have expressed concerns about the ability of modern cars to monitor citizens using on-board cameras, as well as eavesdrop on their conversations while in the cabin. Considering that many Chinese cars equipped with advanced assistants have a video camera facing the interior, then such a threat is purely technically feasible. American officials are also concerned about the possibility of intercepting control of such vehicles through remote access to on-board electronics. Industry representatives are expected to have the opportunity to participate in public hearings on the issue.

A meeting with representatives of various American government departments took place last Friday, where they discussed a plan to introduce restrictions on the use of software of Chinese origin on vehicles operated in the United States. Representatives from Australia, Canada, the EU, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain and the UK took part in the event and expressed their opinions on this issue. Ten Chinese companies currently have prototypes of autonomous vehicles on U.S. roads, and their potential threat to national security was already mentioned by a panel of U.S. lawmakers last November.