America Just Hit China’s Carmakers With a Regulatory Sledgehammer
Chinese car makers are pushing their way into American buying tendencies in any way they see fit.
The U.S. government doesn't necessarily see that as a good thing, though, and a recent bill proposes that massive penalties be laid against Chinese manufacturers if they do actually get to sell vehicles on domestic shores.
Select Committee on China chairman John Moolenaar and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell have introduced a bill called the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which is laid out so that any "connected" vehicle from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran is, effectively, banned.
In the event that the companies want to eat the financial burden of a $1.5 million fee per violation of the bill, companies like BYD can, in fact, sell cars in the USA. That number isn't set in stone, and rather is based on five times the value of the transaction (up to $1.5m, or whichever is greater). The notion here is that violating the bill is essentially a way of making data-collecting cars prohibitively expensive to sell in the USA— unless they're sold by General Motors, of course.
Former President Biden championed regulations like this when he was in office, though now the purpose seems more to protect the US auto industry players rather than defenseless buyers.
Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Based in Connecticut, Ross hosts The Hooniverse Podcast. He has been in the off-road world since he was a kid riding in the back of his dad’s YJ Wrangler. He works in marketing by day and in his free time contributes to Hooniverse, AutoGuide, and ATV.com, and in the past has contributed to UTV Driver, ATV Rider, and Everyday Driver. Ross drives a 2018 Lexus GX460 that is an ongoing build project featured on multiple websites and the podcast.
More by Ross Ballot
Comments
Join the conversation
President Biden Crime Family championed obtaining assets from China.
A broader review of records by NBC News indicated that Hunter Biden's firm was paid $3.8million explicitly by CEFC China Energy, as part of a total $11million from various international deals between 2013 and 2018.
Yes, only data-collecting cars from the USA and the rest of the world are allowed here! Never ever buying a vehicle with a camera that is recording me driving. lol.
Time to hit Congress in the head with that sledgehammer. Every one carrying a cell phone can potentially collect more data than a car. Cell phones are carried into private meetings (the Chinese should give Hogsbreath and Donny a medal), collect your purchase histories, and note where you spent time on vacation. They never sit 8 hours in a darkened garage or parking lot, charging, or just waiting for the owner to leave work or home. You couldn't build a worse spying device than a car.