Chinese Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Technology and the European Car Industry

The European Union car manufacturing industry does not currently appear to be dependent on Chinese suppliers of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology. But given the scale and pace of application of V2X in China, it is possible that Chinese companies could eventually become highly competitive internationally. This could present various risks for EU strategic autonomy, in particular with regard to supply chain resilience and technological competitiveness. National security and values-related risks also require serious attention. That said, the evolution of Chinese V2X technology could also provide opportunities for the EU to strengthen its strategic autonomy. Provided that Chinese suppliers do not become dominant, that Chinese standards are open and developed jointly with non-Chinese actors and that EU car user data is protected from access by the Chinese government, the EU could benefit from European-Chinese cooperation on accelerating the transition to electric driving and smart mobility, maintain an innovative
and competitive car industry, and mitigate strategic dependence on US technology firms.

Report chapter, co-authored with Sanne van der Lugt and Raul Rojas. Digital Power China (DPC), 'Europe's Strategic Technology Autonomy From China: Assessing foundational and emerging technologies', edited by Tim Ruehlich, 25 January 2023, p.91-103. Click on the image below to go to the report.