US senators clash over scope of Chinese connected-vehicle ban

US senators broadly agree that Chinese connected vehicles should be kept off American roads. But a bipartisan attempt to codify and expand existing restrictions has exposed divisions over whether the proposed ban could ensnare European carmakers and increase costs for American electric-vehicle producers.The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation advanced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, a bill that would prohibit the import, manufacture and sale of connected vehicles linked to China and other foreign adversaries. It would also restrict the use of covered vehicle software and hardware on national security grounds.The bill would also prohibit vehicles made by companies with significant Chinese ownership. Under the bill, a connected vehicle could be prohibited if its manufacturer is more than 15 per cent owned or controlled by a Chinese entity or a combination of Chinese entities.“What we don’t want to do is [to] cede this entire industry to the Chinese,” said Senator Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican and the bill’s lead sponsor. “We will not commit industrial suicide, and we will not allow ‘automotive fentanyl’ to enter the United States of America.”The move to ban Chinese cars is not entirely new. Washington’s two long-running anxieties are reflected in this bill: the US auto industry’s fear of being undercut by Chinese competitors, and national security officials’ unease over how much data connected cars can send back to Beijing.