- Under a new Biden administration plan announced Monday, Chinese and Russian connected vehicle software and hardware would be banned in the US, starting in a few years. It is yet unclear if this would include retail aftermarket products.
The plan calls for the ban of any hardware and software that connects a vehicle to other things. This includes WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular or satellite hardware. For software, this would take effect in model year 2027; for hardware, in 2030.
The plan is a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) issued by the Department of Commerce, which could become a mandate within a few months, said the Wall Street Journal. The Department of Commerce is currently seeking more feedback from stake holders, it said.
A White House statement Monday said the plan, “if finalized as proposed, [would] prohibit the sale or import of connected vehicles that incorporate certain technology and the import of particular components themselves from countries of concern, specifically the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia.Currently, the Bureau of Industry and Security is taking more feedback from stake holders.
The White House statement added that the “proposed rule would prohibit the import or sale of certain connected vehicle systems designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by entities with a sufficient nexus to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] or Russia.”
It continued, “Specifically, the rule covers ‘vehicle connectivity systems’ (VCS) — that is, systems and components connecting the vehicle to the outside world, including via Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi modules — and ‘automated driving systems’ (ADS), which allow highly autonomous vehicles to operate without a driver behind the wheel. The rule includes restrictions on imports or sales of connected vehicles using VCS and ADS software, as well as imports of VCS hardware equipment.”
The plan would allow exemptions for small producers of vehicles and “certain parties.” It states, “The Department of Commerce is also proposing procedures to let certain parties, such as small producers of vehicles, receive exemptions from the prohibitions on an exceptional basis, in order to minimize unanticipated and unnecessary disruption to industry.”
You can read the full one-page plan here.
Beyond the concerns of the 12 volt aftermarket, the new plan would effectively block the sale of all Chinese auto imports in the US.
We reached out to the Dept. of Commerce for clarification on the plan and have not received a response.
See also The Wall Street Journal and Engadget
Photo: BYD factory in China
Hopefully this promotes US manufactured and developed systems.
Awesome news!
After what happened with the pagers Lebanon…. I can understand this.