Overview
A Department of Energy laboratory is examining whether Chinese lidar sensors could present security risks if widely adopted in vehicles across the United States, according to sources familiar with the effort.
Details of the Investigation
The review is being conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), as revealed by two individuals with knowledge of the project who requested anonymity. The lab has indicated that the research is funded by a company or consortium within the electric and autonomous vehicle industries, the sources told TechCrunch.
It remains unclear which specific companies are backing the review. Representatives from Rivian, General Motors, Ford, Kodiak, Lucid Motors, Nuro, and Uberβfirms reported to be evaluating Chinese lidarβstated they were unaware of the investigation. Nvidia, Zoox, and Aurora did not respond to inquiries about potential involvement.
The Idaho National Laboratory declined to comment, with a spokesperson stating in June and again in July, "this isn't a project that we're at liberty to discuss with reporters." Hesai and RoboSense, China's leading lidar manufacturers, have not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Background on Lidar Technology
Lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging, uses laser pulses to measure distances to nearby objects. It has become a cornerstone technology for autonomous vehicle development, offering high-resolution 3D mapping of a vehicle's surroundings.
Political and Legislative Context
The investigation comes amid growing political pressure to prohibit Chinese lidar on American roads. Multiple pieces of legislation are being drafted to address these concerns.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), co-sponsor of the Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act with Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), expressed concerns about potential military or industrial espionage via Chinese lidar. "As infrastructure becomes more sophisticated, the threat Chinese LiDAR technology poses to American communities and our national security cannot be allowed to go unchecked," she told TechCrunch. "We need to be doing more to protect Americans, and that starts with ensuring taxpayer dollars aren't being used to purchase technologies that could be used to spy on us."
Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI), who co-sponsors a separate bill aiming to ban Chinese lidar, told CNBC last month that he worries about "back doors" that could "transmit information back to these Chinese Communist interests."
Industry Perspectives on Risks
Omer Keilaf, CEO and co-founder of Israeli lidar company Innoviz, outlined multiple layers of risk associated with Chinese lidar adoption. The primary concern is supply chain vulnerability. Keilaf, who was unaware of the INL review until TechCrunch informed him, noted that China's government has designated lidar as a strategically important technology.
"So, if, for example, an OEM now builds its entire autonomous driving stack based on a Chinese supply chain, that's a huge risk down the road," he said in a recent interview.
The investigation and legislative efforts reflect a broader trend of scrutinizing Chinese technology in critical infrastructure, a concern that is likely to intensify as autonomous vehicles become more prevalent in 2026 and beyond.
via TechCrunch