October 8, 2024
photo: EFE
U.S. President Joe Biden proposed Monday a new regulation that will ban the circulation of two types of vehicles manufactured with technology linked to China and Russia: connected vehicles, which communicate with other cars or infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles, which circulate without a driver, something that in practice means the closure of the market to all new Chinese tourism.
The measure responds to national security concerns, as there are fears that Chinese and Russian companies have access to driver and infrastructure data in the United States and can even remotely control these vehicles to cause accidents or block roads, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo explained in a telephone press conference.
“Cars are no longer just steel and metal on wheels,” said Raimondo, who warned that Bluetooth, cellular, satellite and wifi modules in modern vehicles could be vulnerable to cyber-attacks or manipulation by third parties.
Nearly all new vehicles “connected
Today, nearly all new vehicles on U.S. roads, both gasoline and electric, are considered “connected.” These cars have hardware that allows them to connect to the internet or cloud services, sharing data with both in-vehicle and external devices.
Today’s proposed regulations are the result of an investigation that Biden commissioned in February from the Department of Commerce to determine whether Chinese vehicle imports posed a national security risk and whether it was necessary to ban the use of such software and hardware in vehicles on the road in the United States.
Although this investigation initially covered only China, it was later extended to Russia over fears that the Kremlin could access U.S. data through Russian technology companies, said a senior official who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.
Risk to U.S. critical infrastructure
As a result of that investigation, it was concluded that certain Chinese and Russian technologies pose a risk both to critical U.S. infrastructure, including the power grid, and to the users of these vehicles, whose personal data could be compromised, from their place of residence to the destinations to which they are going, such as hospitals or clinics.
Raimondo assured that these are “proactive measures,” as few Chinese or Russian vehicles are currently on U.S. roads. “What we have seen in Europe is an example of what not to do. In Europe and elsewhere in the world, it went from too few Chinese vehicles to too many,” he said.
“We know the Chinese strategy, so we’re not going to wait until the risk is high. We’re going to act now,” he remarked.
Vehicles with communications software or hardware.
The regulations specifically seek to ban the import and sale of vehicles from China and Russia that include communications software or hardware, such as Bluetooth, cellular, satellite and wifi modules. Highly autonomous vehicles, i.e., those that operate without a driver, will also be banned.
Following today’s publication of the proposal, a 30-day period is open for the public and interested parties, such as the automotive industry, to submit comments. The goal is for the rule to take effect before Jan. 20, 2025, when Biden leaves the White House, explained a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Even if the rule goes into effect in 2025, automakers will have a period of time to adapt. Restrictions on software will be effective on 2027 models, while the ban on hardware will begin in January 2029.
Source: Cuba Periodista, translation Resumen Latinoamercano-English