Report: Chinese Military Bans Tesla Vehicles From Facilities

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

The Chinese military has decided to ban all Tesla vehicles from housing complexes and bases after citing them as a potential security risk. Since the cars use an array of ultrasonic sensors and cameras to create a panoramic view used for advanced driving features, China is concerned the American brand could use the cars to covertly map out sensitive areas.

According to Bloomberg, the new guidelines stipulate that all Tesla owners park vehicles outside all military facilities. While the official sources for those claims were left anonymous, Chinese social media did see residents of military housing make mention of the rule change earlier this week. The Wall Street Journal likewise reported that government agencies have asked staff not to drive Tesla models to work anymore.

From Bloomberg:

The order, issued by the military, advises Tesla owners to park their cars outside of military property, according to people familiar with the directive who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The ban, relayed to residents of military housing this week, was triggered by concerns that the world’s biggest maker of electric vehicles is collecting sensitive data via the cars’ in-built cameras in a way the Chinese government can’t see or control, one of the people said.

Images of what was purported to be a notice about the ban were also circulating on Chinese social media. Multi-direction cameras and ultrasonic sensors in Tesla cars may “expose locations” and the vehicles are being barred from military residences to ensure the safety of confidential military information, the notice said.

Tesla has always discussed its camera system as essential for advanced driving capabilities, with Elon Musk suggesting they also have security applications. But it hardly seems reasonable to point the finger at the brand when practically every automaker is outfitting their own products with the same kind of sensing equipment and the connectivity to theoretically broadcast that information anywhere there’s an internet connection. For our purposes, that just means more complaints about customer data rights and privacy violations. But China’s been perpetually concerned with informational warfare and had been trying to position itself favorably against the United States.

We’re wondering if this is just the start of something more serious. China has made it abundantly clear that it wants to become the dominant global superpower by 2028 and has begun mobilizing its military against American allies. Numerous analysts have also suggested China and the U.S. are already engaged in economic and political warfare. That doesn’t bode well for the future of American firms hoping to sell cars (or anything else) within the region. Additional restrictions seem unavoidable if relations between the two countries worsen.

Meanwhile, we’re still wondering why so few people are relaying these types of privacy concerns to the private sector. Governments around the world are talking about data protection and how to restrict the flow of information online via national security laws. But hardly anyone is issuing those same concerns to the automakers that are putting driver-facing cameras into cars that can track your every move.

[Image: B.Zhou/Shuterstock]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Mar 21, 2021

    "Today China has 3x scientists over US." ...And China has close to 5x the population. My comment about ignorance isn't specifically about post secondary education. You can view it as an indictment of the whole primary, high-school and to a degree, post-secondary education system. Conventional media and social media are massive contributors. We don't teach people to search for the truth which would help overcome our natural tendency to seek validation. The quest for validation is easily manipulated by enemies, con-men, sales, and PR.

    • See 1 previous
    • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Mar 23, 2021

      @old-WRX - Schools do need to teach the basics as you have said but they also need to teach dispassionate critical thinking. They need to teach logical problem solving. That includes learning how our own biases shape our thoughts and perceptions. A good example is history may be factual but it's written from the viewpoint of the victor, the dominant group writes the history books. Just like many in the dominant group believes this: "including all this new nutso race stuff". You just made my entire first point for me.

  • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Mar 21, 2021

    “I have not found one who possessed a decent knowledge of the basics we require.” Based on your posts, it must be hard to find Russian troll farm operatives that are fluent in English and USA culture.

    • See 5 previous
    • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Mar 22, 2021

      @slavuta “Russia does not extradite those who fights for human rights.” Why extradite when you have polonium and novichok.

  • Carson D At 1:24 AM, the voyage data recorder (VDR) stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio. At 1:26 AM, the VDR resumed recording vessel system data. Three minutes later, the Dali collided with the bridge. Nothing suspicious at all. Let's go get some booster shots!
  • Darren Mertz Where's the heater control? Where's the Radio control? Where the bloody speedometer?? In a menu I suppose. How safe is that??? Volvo....
  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
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