Takamasa Ishizuka, Advisor of DEVNET JAPAN
【The National Security Challenges Posed by Chinese-Made EVs and AI-Integrated Batteries】
We are now entering the era of electric vehicles (EVs). Among the key players dominating this shift almost overnight are Chinese-made EVs. However, this is not merely about the market share of finished vehicles.
This issue goes deeper—it’s about national sovereignty over advanced technologies, specifically with regard to Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs).
These are vehicles that operate via remote access and control, based heavily on software integration. The discussion should focus on how the control of such technologies intersects with national security.
The lifeblood of any EV is its electric motor’s performance and the capability of the onboard battery to support and extend driving range. Now, Chinese-manufactured EV batteries that are embedded with Artificial Intelligence (AI) are quietly, but significantly, reshaping the global automo- tive industry.
【Impact on Developing Countries and Challenges】
This situation poses particularly serious issues for developing countries. Many developing nations have positioned the development of the automotive industry as a key pillar of their economic growth. However, reliance on Chinese AI batteries could hinder these countries’ industrial self-reliance and impose significant constraints on their long-term economic development strategies.Why is this a major national security risk? In simple terms, it involves critical national security issues related to the confidentiality of driving data, vulnerabilities in control systems, and supply risks in geopolitical emergencies.Integrating AI functionality into batteries means that the battery management system (BMS) and AI are integrated during driving, entrusting advanced control functions such as real-time fault diagnosis and automatic correction during driving, remote driving optimization, and centralized management of multiple vehicles owned by different parties or operating simultaneously to AI batteries.In other words, regardless of where the data representing the internal state of the system (telemetry data) collected and transmitted through the BMS is concentrated, it will be subject to Chinese data-related laws and regulations, raising issues of data sovereignty. Furthermore, the remote access function to driving EVs will inevitably pose the risk of cyberattacks and unauthorized control in emergencies.
【Threat to economic independence of developing countries】
For developing countries, this technological dependency poses a fundamental threat to their economic independence. Developing countries aiming to nurture their domestic automotive industry and achieve economic growth through job creation and technology transfer risk losing autonomy in industrial policy and deepening economic dependency by relying on foreign countries for core technologies.The automotive industry will continue to be a major driver of the global economy, but under China’s unique national policies and legal system in the EV sector, major automakers in other countries will have no choice but to use Chinese-made AI batteries as essential components to secure short-term competitiveness, which could significantly hinder the maintenance of national independence.
【The necessity of supporting developing countries】
This issue extends beyond mere competition in the sale of completed EVs. AI battery systems are not merely neutral technologies that the global automotive industry must use, but rather national security technologies that encompass geopolitical or strategic international risks. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the technological foundations of each country and promote security-focused policies in coordination with allied nations to stabilize and enhance the autonomy of each country’s technological foundations.particularly AI battery technology as a security technology, and promoting security-focused policies that strengthen the technological foundations of each country and align the actions of allied nations to stabilize and reinforce the autonomy of all nations.In particular, it is essential to support developing countries in building independent EV industry bases and promoting the establishment of technological sovereignty through technology transfer, human resource development, and financial support. This will create an environment in which developing countries can break away from external dependence and achieve sustainable economic development.In light of the risk that driving EVs could be akin to being robbed in broad daylight, with the possibility of losing one’s life, similar to cyberattacks against the global Internet network, it is imperative that each country strongly promote communication and detailed discussions within the international community and take global (worldwide) measures to turn risks into competitive advantages and link them to economic prosperity.
【Conclusion: The necessity of a comprehensive development assistance strategy for developing countries】
Addressing this issue is extremely important not only for the security of developed countries but also from the perspective of supporting the economic independence of developing countries. It is necessary to establish a framework for international cooperation that balances the establishment of technological sovereignty and the realization of economic independence, and to create an environment in which all countries can achieve sustainable and self-reliant development.