Unethical forced labour practices remain a significant threat to the global EV industry, with the production of numerous parts including tyres, batteries, electrical components, and even seat cushions, tainted by the practice. In a recent report, researchers from Sheffield Hallam University highlighted that materials originating in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) were particularly likely to be intertwined with forced labour practices.
With numerous international auto manufacturers directly or indirectly sourcing iron, steel, aluminium, and copper from China’s XUAR, major auto manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Tesla, Toyota, and many others, have faced allegations around suppliers connected to forced labour in the Xinjiang region.
Most recently, Volkswagen came under pressure to withdraw from its joint venture in the region after new evidence emerged linking the German carmaker to the alleged persecution of Uyghur minorities. What’s more, thousands of VW vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, and Bentleys, have been impounded at ports across the US as they contained a single component manufactured by a supplier sanctioned for using forced labour in China.
