Sources: US Department of Energy is investigating whether Chinese lidar sensors might pose a security risk if they become widely used on vehicles in the US (Sean O'Kane/TechCrunch)

The U.S. Department of Energy has opened an inquiry into whether lidar sensors manufactured in China could create national-security vulnerabilities if they become widely deployed in American vehicles. The review will assess potential risks associated with the hardware’s supply chain, data handling and integration into autonomous-driving systems.