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The Chairman of the House Select Committee on China, John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), together with US Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), has called on the Departments of Commerce and Defense to investigate Autel Energy, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) charging company that they allege has connections to both the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
This request was made in a release from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP). In a letter addressed to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers underscored the need for a national security review to ensure the protection of American consumer data and energy infrastructure from threats posed by foreign adversaries, according to the SCCCP release. "Autel Energy manufactures electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Autel Intelligent Transportation Corp. the same parent company to Chinese drone maker Autel Robotics, which the US government recently added to the Department of Commerce's Entity List and the Chinese military companies list," said Moolenaar and Blackburn. "We are concerned that Autel Energy's products pose many of the same risks to US economic and national security as those manufactured by Autel Robotics and its parent company, both of which are openly affiliated with the CCP and People's Liberation Army," as quoted by SCCCP's release. Autel has taken steps to hide its Chinese ownership by using a different name in the US, opening a new assembly facility, and promoting its products as eligible for federal EV infrastructure funding. According to the SCCCP release, this strategy mirrors tactics used by its sister company, which falsely marketed a "Made in USA" drone that used prohibited Chinese technology. The lawmakers have urged a review of whether Autel Energy should be included on national security watch lists, citing its ability to collect driver data and access essential infrastructure. They also expressed gratitude for the Department's leadership and stressed the importance of proactive action to protect Americans against the growing technological threats from adversarial regimes, as outlined in the SCCCP release. (ANI)
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