Summarised by Centrist
Security fears over Chinese technology have spread to an unlikely front in Europe’s public transport system. This is after Denmark and Norway discovered potential vulnerabilities in Chinese-made electric buses that could allow them to be remotely disabled.
Two major Scandinavian transport agencies, Movia in Denmark and Ruter in Norway, are investigating a software “loophole” in fleets of Yutong buses that can receive remote updates and diagnostics. Ruter said its tests showed Chinese government-owned Yutong had “direct digital access to each individual bus,” meaning the vehicles “can be stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer.” Movia, which operates 262 Yutong buses across Copenhagen and eastern Denmark, confirmed similar concerns, warning that any vehicle connected to the internet is vulnerable to hacking or misuse.
Yutong, based in Zhengzhou, China, said its European data is securely stored in an Amazon Web Services centre in Frankfurt and cannot be accessed “without customer authorisation.” It said it “highly values” public concerns over data protection and vehicle safety.
The revelation adds to Europe’s wider anxiety over Chinese-built infrastructure, from Huawei 5G networks to electric vehicles, being weaponised in a crisis. Former MI6 chief Richard Dearlove warned earlier this year that Chinese electric vehicles could “be immobilised at a switch,” potentially halting transport in major Western cities.
Cybersecurity analysts note that the same risk applies to any connected EV, including Teslas, though the political implications differ when Beijing controls the manufacturer. Norway’s Ruter has since installed firewalls and tightened procurement standards, but experts remain sceptical.
Editor’s note: It is worth noting that New Zealand already uses Chinese-made electric buses. For example, Auckland’s new depot in New Lynn features fully electric buses built on Chinese-manufactured chassis by CRRC and Geely. Notably, CRRC, like Yutong, is a Chinese state-owned enterprise, while Geely is privately held.
