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As of August 20, 2024, a US Department of Energy lab is scrutinizing Chinese-made lidar sensors for potential security flaws that could threaten national security if widely adopted in American vehicles. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is leading the review, funded by an undisclosed group of electric and autonomous vehicle companies, according to sources familiar with the effort. The move comes amid growing bipartisan pressure in Congress to ban Chinese lidar from US roads.
The probe focuses on whether Chinese lidar sensors—used by self-driving cars to map surroundings with laser pulses—could be exploited for espionage or mass disruption. Lawmakers, including Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI), have introduced bills targeting the technology. Baldwin warned that “Chinese lidar technology poses a threat to American communities and our national security,” emphasizing that taxpayer dollars should not fund spying-capable devices.
INL has remained tight-lipped, stating in June and July that the project is not for public discussion. Major US automakers and autonomous vehicle firms—including Rivian, General Motors, Ford, Kodiak, Lucid, Nuro, and Uber—told TechCrunch they were unaware of the review. Nvidia, Zoox, and Aurora did not respond to inquiries. Leading Chinese lidar suppliers Hesai and RoboSense also declined to comment.
Omer Keilaf, CEO of Israeli lidar maker Innoviz, outlined two key cybersecurity risks. First, Chinese lidar could be disabled en masse, potentially halting vehicles in motion or bricking parked ones. While individual lidar sensors have been hacked before, large-scale disruption remains theoretical. Second, the high-resolution data collected by lidar could be compressed and transmitted via cellular chips. Keilaf, a former Israeli intelligence officer, noted that “it’s not very difficult to extract that information.”
The review may also aim to certify Chinese lidar as safe, according to sources. This is critical because Chinese companies like Hesai and RoboSense have slashed lidar costs from $75,000 a decade ago to just a few hundred dollars, making them attractive to cost-conscious automakers. US lidar makers have struggled to compete, with Luminar filing for bankruptcy and others consolidating.
Rivian, which plans to integrate lidar into its R2 SUV, is reportedly considering sourcing from China. CEO RJ Scaringe said in March that the company is in “active discussions” with lidar firms and exploring joint ventures to develop US production capacity. However, Rivian’s CFO later clarified that no in-house lidar development is planned.
The regulatory landscape remains uncertain. The Department of Defense has placed Hesai and RoboSense on its 1260H list for alleged ties to the People’s Liberation Army, restricting military contracts. In 2025, the Commerce Department is set to implement a rule banning Chinese connectivity hardware in passenger cars, but lidar sensors are not yet covered. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), co-sponsor of a ban bill, has warned that widespread adoption could let China “gather sensitive data or disrupt our systems.”
A real-world incident underscores the risk: In early 2024, a leap year bug in Hesai’s lidar caused autonomous vehicles to stop working for an entire day. While not malicious, it highlights how software glitches could cripple fleets. For now, the INL review is a step toward understanding whether Chinese lidar poses a manageable risk or a red line for US national security. The outcome could reshape the autonomous vehicle supply chain and determine whether American companies can afford to ignore Chinese sensors.
