The US Department of Commerce announced Monday plans to effectively ban Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) from its market by banning certain Chinese hardware and software.
The proposal, which would also include Russian-made car components, was first proposed in February, followed by an investigation into the potential risks surrounding EV features like senors and other internet-connected components.
Besides the clear economic threat posed by China's unfair EV industry, this proposal seeks to prevent serious physical threats, too. As these electric vehicle technologies are linked directly to the Chinese government, that would give Beijing the power to spy on American drivers and infrastructure, not to mention sabotage these vehicles from abroad. If the White House doesn't step in, China can do whatever it wants to America and its people.
This proposal is fearmongering at its finest. What Washington really wants is to prevent China from becoming an instant success in the EV market, similarly to the 'made-in-China' boom of the early 2000s. Instead of working with Beijing, whose EV and solar technologies have led the world in decarbonization, a handful of US politicians have chosen to risk destroying that climate progress and hurt its own car companies for political points.