Multinational automakers, including BMW, Daimler, and Ford, will establish data centers in China for local storage of data generated by their cars. Prior to that, Tesla just announced that it has appointed a data center in China to localize data storage.

Ford said it has established a data center in China in the first half of 2020 and has stored all vehicle data locally; BMW stated that it will operate a local data center in China for its Chinese vehicles but did not specify when it will start; Daimler indicated that it runs a dedicated automotive back-end in China for storing vehicle data.

In addition to the multinational automakers mentioned above, General Motors and Toyota have declined to discuss how their data in China will be managed; France's Renault Motor said it does not yet have an automotive data center in China; Nissan and Stellantis said they would comply with China's regulations but did not disclose further details; Volkswagen responded that compliance with data protection rules is critical to the success of its digital transformation, but that it is too early to comment on specifics because the regulatory environment is still evolving at a rapid pace.