U.S. Lawmaker Seeks Ban on Chinese Lidar in Cars and Critical Infrastructure
A U.S. lawmaker has introduced legislation aimed at eliminating Chinese-made sensors from self-driving vehicles and critical infrastructure, citing fears they could be hacked or disabled remotely during a conflict. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois and ranking member of the House Select Committee on China, proposed the bill this week to phase out Chinese lidar technology across key sectors.
Lidar sensors, which use lasers to map surroundings for autonomous vehicles, are also widely used in port automation and industrial systems. The bill would prohibit new purchases of Chinese-made lidar after three years while offering limited waivers for scientific and cybersecurity research. A five-year transition period would be granted for replacing legacy equipment already deployed in critical systems.
Security and Market Concerns
The proposed law reflects growing anxiety in Washington over China’s dominance in advanced sensing technologies. Consulting firm Yole Group estimated earlier this year that Chinese lidar firms hold 93% of the passenger car market and 89% of the overall lidar sector.
“America and our allies should lead in LiDAR innovation — not cede control of this critical technology to foreign adversaries who will use their control to endanger Americans,” Krishnamoorthi said.
National security analysts have warned that Chinese-manufactured sensors could be remotely deactivated from space during a conflict, crippling U.S. systems in seconds. Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, cautioned that “Chinese LiDAR is already starting to embed itself across U.S. infrastructure — from autonomous vehicles to pipeline inspection systems — and allowing vendors to scale further risks repeating the same strategic mistake we made with Huawei.”
Military Implications and Industry Shifts
Lidar technology is increasingly vital to autonomous military and defence applications, raising further concerns about reliance on Chinese suppliers. The U.S. Department of Defense has already added Hesai Group, the world’s largest maker of automotive lidar sensors, to its list of entities accused of supporting China’s military. Hesai challenged the designation in court but lost.
Meanwhile, American lidar manufacturers such as Ouster and Aeva Technologies are seeking to capture a larger share of the market, positioning themselves as secure alternatives to Chinese competitors. Analysts say a U.S. phase-out could accelerate domestic production and strengthen the resilience of national infrastructure against potential cyberthreats.
with inputs from Reuters
