Technology

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security denied Polestar an authorization under the current Connected Vehicle Rule to sell cars in the U.S. from model year 2027 on. That’s because Polestar is a subsidiary of Geely, a Chinese automaker. Ironically, Polestar’s sister brand, also owned by Geely, Volvo, was granted the authorization in May.

What's the Connected Vehicle Rule? From the Bureau of Industry and Security (is that a thing?):

On January 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a rule restricting the import and sale of certain connected vehicles and related hardware/software linked to China or Russia. BIS determined these transactions pose national security risks, as companies from these countries may be compelled to share data or allow remote access to connected vehicles in the United States.

So, the reported ban seems capricious, but I wouldn't mind one solution: stop making cars connected. The key fob uses its local protocol for lock/unlock and remote start, my phone uses bluetooth for charge controls and status, and there's a scren that uses Android Auto. Car companies stop trying to write UX and network stacks.