Raimondo says it's 'possible' for Chinese EVs to one day be on U.S. roads

Chinese electric cars can one day drive on U.S. roads if there are enough government controls on software and sensors, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told CNBC's Eunice Yoon in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

"It's possible. I could see a day when we have those vehicles on roads in the United States," Raimondo said, "but not unless we have very significant controls and conditions around the software and sensors in those cars."

In addition to using a battery instead of gasoline for power, electric vehicles today typically come with a suite of driver-assist software and in-car entertainment that can sync with users' mobile phones.

That's raised concerns about data collection — the White House in late February said the Department of Commerce would investigate whether imported "connected vehicles" from China pose national security risks.

"Because at the end of the day we must protect the American people from the threat that China poses," Raimondo said, claiming that Beijing could access data about location or personal messages transmitted through Chinese-made cars.

"It doesn't matter if those cars are made in Mexico or Beijing," she said.

China's Foreign Ministry has said that "the Chinese government has never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence located abroad against local laws."

Concerns about Beijing's potential access to data has also spurred U.S. legislators to consider a bill that could effectively ban TikTok from operating locally. The popular social media app is owned by China-based ByteDance.

When asked about the bill, Raimondo asserted her support for such legislation.

"I think we might be able to mitigate the risks [from TikTok] if we had enough