U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, commended the automotive industry on Tuesday for using innovative technologies to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.
In a letter to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, Consumer Technology Association, and Chamber Technology Engagement Center, the two Congressmen applauded the industry’s response to the public health crisis by stepping up to make personal protective equipment, respirators, and ventilators, as well as working to ensure that industry employees remain safe.
“In some ways, we are reminded of the industry’s response to World War II, when all automotive factories in the U.S. were retooled to build vehicles and equipment for the military,” the letter said. “In the years following the war, new technologies ushered in a golden era for the industry that benefitted our entire nation. As we now confront the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis and work to restore our economy, innovation and ingenuity across the auto sector will be critical to building a safer, more efficient, and more resilient future in transportation.”
The Congressmen also praised the industry for showing what it could look like in the future, noting that it is looking at new ways to innovate, including using automated driving systems to transport COVID-19 tests between testing sites and laboratories and using ride-hailing vehicles to transport essential goods like medical supplies, mail, and groceries.
But the Congressmen warned that China is close on the heels of American automotive manufacturers.
As encouraging as these developments are, our global competitors are racing to gain the upper hand in automotive innovation. “China is on the path to becoming the world’s leading manufacturing power by 2049, a year that would mark 100 years of Communist rule in that land. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, China is moving full speed ahead with its focus on critical technologies, with Chinese companies going so far as to test automated vehicles on American roads,” the Congressmen said in their letter.
The Wicker and Walden asked the groups to let them know what the industry organizations planned to do to help with the country’s recovery after the pandemic is over and how Congress could support the industry.