Tesla criticizes Biden’s plan to ban Chinese tech in cars

Elon Musk has criticized the Biden administration’s tariffs on Chinese EV companies, despite previously warning they would “demolish” Western automakers without intervention.

Tesla has criticized plans to ban Chinese tech in US cars, warning that doing so risks burying automakers in a deluge of red tape.

In a comment on the proposed ban on Chinese-developed software submitted last week, Tesla said that the regulations would create a “massive, and ultimately unnecessary regulatory reporting regime.”

The automaker criticized the regulations’ wording for adding “unneeded regulatory burdens” on software designed by non-US individuals.

Tesla’s comments were submitted as part of a consultation into the new rules. The Telegraph first reported on the filing.

The Biden administration unveiled plans to ban Chinese and Russian tech from internet-connected cars in September. Officials warned that cars with Chinese components posed a threat to national security and the privacy of US citizens.

The new rules would affect vehicle software and autonomous driving systems and likely end Chinese self-driving companies’ testing of vehicles in the US.

It marked the latest escalation in the US crackdown on China’s growing automotive industry.

The US government previously introduced a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs to protect the American auto industry from a wave of cheap Chinese electric vehicles.

Despite previously warning that China’s EV giants would “demolish” their Western rivals without trade barriers, Elon Musk criticized the Biden administration’s move, saying neither he nor Tesla asked for the tariffs.

Tesla has a huge presence in China, making it vulnerable if the Chinese government introduces retaliatory restrictions.

The company has said it aims to start selling its Full Self-Driving assisted driving system in China next year, pending regulatory approval, as local rivals like Nio and Xpeng increasingly roll out smart electric cars packed with autonomous driving features.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment, sent outside normal working hours.