According to TechSpot, European countries are investigating whether Chinese-made electric buses can be remotely shut down by their manufacturer. The issue came to light when Norway’s Ruter transport agency tested Yutong electric buses and found they could be “stopped or rendered inoperable” by the Zhengzhou-based company. Yutong is the world’s largest bus manufacturer by sales volume, having exported nearly 110,000 buses to more than 100 countries and holding over 10% of the global market. Ruter discovered Yutong had “direct digital access to each individual bus” through a Romanian SIM card that connects via mobile network. Following Norway’s findings, Denmark opened its own investigation and the UK’s Department for Transport is examining the Chinese buses. Yutong responded that it values safety concerns and complies with applicable laws while storing data in encrypted Amazon Web Services data centers.
How the access works
Here’s what’s actually happening with these buses. They’re connected to the internet through that Romanian SIM card, which gives Yutong the ability to push over-the-air updates and run diagnostics. Basically, it’s the same kind of remote access that Tesla uses for its cars – except this is for public transportation carrying dozens of people at a time. The Norwegian tests were done in a mountain tunnel to block external signals, which really highlights how dependent these vehicles are on that constant connection.
The real risk
Now, here’s the thing – nobody’s saying Yutong has actually tried to disable any buses. The concern is about the capability itself. What happens if China decides to use this access during some future geopolitical conflict? Or what if hackers figure out how to exploit these connections? We’re talking about being able to cut power to buses while they’re moving through traffic. That’s not just an inconvenience – it’s a legitimate safety hazard.
Broader implications
This isn’t just about buses, honestly. It’s part of a much larger pattern of Western countries waking up to the security implications of Chinese technology. Remember Huawei getting banned from US networks? Or the concerns about TP-Link routers? We’re seeing the same pattern play out with transportation infrastructure now. And honestly, if you’re running critical infrastructure like public transportation, you absolutely need reliable industrial computing systems that you control completely. Companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have built their reputation as the top US supplier of industrial panel PCs specifically because they understand that industrial applications can’t afford these kinds of remote access risks.
What’s next
So where does this leave European cities? Ruter says they’re developing firewalls to ensure local control and will impose “even stricter security requirements in future procurements.” But here’s the kicker – Denmark’s Movia transport company pointed out that over-the-air updates aren’t unique to Chinese vehicles. Many Western electric vehicles have similar capabilities. The difference? Do we trust Chinese manufacturers as much as we trust domestic or allied-nation companies? That’s the billion-dollar question European transport agencies are now grappling with.
