Automakers Give the Chinese Government Access To Location Data of Electric Cars

According to a new report from The Associated Press, a number of China's government officials and entities have had access to the location data of 'new energy vehicles' from many different manufacturers. 'More than 200 manufacturers (both national and foreign) transmit the data to 'government-backed monitoring centers,' according to the report, including one called 'The Shanghai Electric Vehicle Public Data Collecting, Monitoring and Research Center' and another known as the 'National Big Data Alliance of New Energy Vehicles,'' reports The Verge. From the report: Chinese officials told the AP that this data -- which includes the real-time location of cars, plus 'dozens of other data points' -- is collected to 'improve public safety' and 'facilitate industrial development and infrastructure planning.' The officials say the data is also used to 'prevent fraud' in the government's subsidy program for new energy vehicles, which offers steep discounts on clean cars. The monitoring systems have been in place since the beginning of 2017, according to a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation from last year. Staffers at the data monitoring centers are able to look at a map, click on a car, and see things like make and model, mileage, and battery charge, according to the AP report.

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