Canada relies on foreign auto executives for its auto industry. It already provides huge taxpayer subsidies per job. There is certainly a possible future where all of those foreign loyal companies side with US to destroy Canadian auto production/investment.
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China could help save Canadian auto industry by providing motors and batteries for Canadian made EVs. Chinese investment to make goods from Canadian resources in Canada is a path for scale that includes global export potential of autos and other industrial goods to whole globe including China.
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If it doesn’t make economic sense to make our own tube socks, it doesn’t make sense to make overly expensive cars, either. There is a stronger national security argument for apparel, that needs yearly replacements, than solar, batteries, and autos that last 20+ years. More so, when they are not dependent on continuous international fuel supply chains/geopolitics.
Pressure on foreign executives to support Canadian production includes access to Canadian market. The stability of status quo will appeal to most people. But the threat/plan B of cooperation with China is both a path to manufacturing and resource FDI paid by China instead of taxpayers, and better quality of life through better value goods.
Almost all laptops you’ve touched over the last decade are made in China or Vietnam. Most computer motherboards are made in China or Vietnam. My Framework laptop is made in Taiwan but its mainboard is Chinese. Most Android phones are made in China or Vietnam. So are most iPhones.
All of the factory software loading happens at the place of manufacture. Some of the software is made there too. Some of these computers have had compromised factory software which has been subsequently fixed. Cough… Lenovo… cough. Yet Lenovo is used at Canadian banks and other critical infrastructure places.
What I’m trying to say is that the computers on wheels aren’t a uniquely problematic domain. We have regulation for secure domains that systems have to pass audits and such. The same mechanism can be used for cars of any manufacture. I don’t know how BYD software updates work by default but for example Ford doesn’t do software updates without explicit agreement from the user letting them do it. If BYD works differently, it can be forced to change. Do you think the EU let BYD sell spying equipment on wheels that doesn’t comply with the GDPR? I doubt it. We can ask for the same software compliance.
It’s far easier to detect software issues on a computer compared to a car, they’re much more open ecosystems for software
Kind of. The high level OS modules are using QNX, Linux and Android.
Am working in NA automotive and data collection is very much discussed in terms of what’s allowed in different jurisdictions and modules are configured differently for different markets accordingly.