The software that connects American cars to the internet has heavily relied on Chinese coding, but now that hidden dependency is forcing one of the auto industry’s most complex overhauls in decades.
Beginning on 17 March, automakers selling connected vehicles in the US must certify that their systems are free of Chinese software – a mandate that extends from infotainment controls and onboard cameras to advanced driver-assistance systems, says Techspot.
The rule, issued by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, bans code written in China or by Chinese-owned firms from vehicles that connect to the cloud. By 2029, even their connectivity hardware will be covered under the same restrictions.
The new regulation is aimed at blocking potential security risks – microphones, GPS modules, and cameras that could be exploited to send data abroad – but it has also triggered a race to locate, audit, and replace lines of code buried deep within modern cars’ supply chains.
Hilary Cain, head of policy at the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, calls the rule “one of the most consequential and complex auto regulations in decades.” Automakers must not only prove compliance to the US government but also trace the digital origins of code that filters through multiple layers of suppliers.
Many of those suppliers, particularly in China, are reluctant to share details, and in some cases, the code is locked down as proprietary intellectual property. This secrecy leaves automakers scrambling to verify code they don’t even fully control. “The suppliers don’t want to share source code. That’s their IP,” Brandon Barry, founder of Detroit-based Block Harbor Cybersecurity, told The Wall Street Journal.
The effort to disentangle from Chinese software comes after years of supply chain shocks that began during the pandemic and deepened amid rising geopolitical tensions. Tesla has reportedly stopped using China-based parts suppliers for US-bound vehicles, part of the industry’s shift toward localization.
(Picture: Suwing Puengsamrong)
