Chinese companies have been testing autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the U.S. for several years as part of their aggressive push to develop advanced driverless car technology. Major Chinese firms such as Baidu, Didi, WeRide, Pony.ai, and AutoX collectively logged over 1.6 million test miles on California roads between 2017 and 2023, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Despite testing extensively in the U.S., these companies face rising concerns from the U.S. government regarding data collection and national security risks.
California’s Silicon Valley, regarded as the center of autonomous vehicle technology, has been a key location for testing these vehicles. Chinese companies hired talent from leading U.S. tech firms, such as Apple, Tesla, and Waymo, to gain expertise, which they planned to bring back to China to apply in their domestic market, according to Michael Dunne, CEO of consulting firm Dunne Insights. He highlighted that Chinese companies were heavily investing in talent and technology to create world-class AV systems.
However, increased scrutiny over the vast amounts of data collected by autonomous vehicles has led the U.S. government to propose a ban on Chinese-connected cars. Missy Cummings, a former senior safety advisor at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, pointed out that these vehicles, equipped with multiple cameras, act as “surveillance machines” by collecting sensitive data, including information on supply chains and life patterns. This raised national security concerns, prompting lawmakers like Representative Marc Veasey of Texas to call for action to address potential threats posed by Chinese AVs in the U.S.
In response to these concerns, many Chinese AV companies have begun scaling back their presence in the U.S. market. At one point, over 14 Chinese companies were testing autonomous vehicles across California, Nevada, and Utah, but now, according to Dunne, there is little evidence of any intention to launch products in the U.S.
Featured image courtesy of The Japan Times
Follow us for more updates on China’s Autonomous Vehicles.