US House Votes in Favor of Banning DHS Use of Certain EV Batteries

The U.S. House of Representatives has taken a bold stance against Chinese influence by voting to ban the use of Gotion electric vehicle batteries and others by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

At a Glance

The U.S. House has passed H.R. 8631, which would prohibit the DHS from using EV batteries from Gotion and other foreign companies.
The bill targets companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over national security concerns.
The legislation aims to decouple from foreign adversarial battery dependence.

Gotion and other Chinese companies face allegations of forced labor practices.
The move follows a similar ban on the Department of Defense use of these batteries.

House Votes to Protect National Security

In a significant move to safeguard national security, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 8631, the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act. This legislation would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from using electric vehicle batteries manufactured by Gotion and several other foreign companies with ties to China.

The bill, introduced by Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez, targets six Chinese companies closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including CATL, BYD, Envision Energy, EVE Energy, Hithium Energy Storage Technology, and Gotion High-Tech.

House votes to ban Gotion's EV batteries from Homeland Security https://t.co/3PTdsA5hhQ

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National Security Concerns

The legislation stems from growing concerns about potential security vulnerabilities associated with Chinese-made batteries. These concerns include the possibility of malware installation and data gathering by companies like CATL, which could compromise sensitive information and infrastructure.

“Our government should not be spending tax dollars to procure batteries from companies that profit from slave labor or provide another avenue for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to expand their surveillance apparatus here in the United States homeland,” Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez said.

The bill’s sponsors, including Representatives Mark E. Green (R-TN), August Pfluger (R-TX), and John Moolenaar (R-MI), emphasize the need to protect America’s critical supply chains from potential exploitation by geopolitical rivals. This legislation follows a similar provision in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which aimed to ban the Department of Defense from using batteries from these companies.

Forced Labor Allegations

A key driver behind this legislation is the allegation that companies like Gotion High-Tech and CATL are connected to forced labor practices involving Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province. Republican lawmakers, including Senator Marco Rubio and Representative John Moolenaar, have urged the Biden administration to blacklist these companies, citing violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

“Gotion and CATL plan to build factories in the United States and thereby grow our dependence on their slave labor-tainted supply chains,” U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar said.

These concerns extend beyond just the DHS. Reports have indicated that CATL batteries were previously installed at various U.S. facilities, including a solar farm at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, which have since been decommissioned.

Impact on U.S. EV Industry

While the bill aims to protect national security, some lawmakers have expressed concerns about its potential impact on the U.S. electric vehicle industry. Maryland Democratic Congressman Glenn Ivey, while supporting the bill, noted lingering concerns about how the ban might affect DHS’s ability to procure American-made electric vehicles, given that many U.S. EV producers currently use Chinese-sourced batteries.

The legislation comes at a time when Chinese battery manufacturers are making significant inroads into the U.S. market. Gotion is set to receive over $8 billion in federal and state subsidies for a facility in Manteno, Illinois, while CATL is set to provide technology for a $3.5 billion Ford EV battery plant in Michigan and is also working with Tesla.