Danish Authorities Rush to Plug Safety Loophole in China-made E-powered Buses

Officials in Denmark are quickly examining methods to seal an seeming safety vulnerability in numerous China-produced electric buses that allows them to be disabled remotely.

Investigation Triggered by Findings in Nearby Country

The investigation follows public transit officials in Norway, where similar Chinese buses are also operational, discovered that the Chinese supplier had remote access for software updates and system checks to the transport management units – which might be misused to disrupt transit while in transit.

“The testing exposed threats that we are now addressing,” said the top official of the transit agency. “Government and municipal authorities have been alerted and must support further actions at a national level.”

Suggested Solution and Its Drawbacks

The research determined that distant shutdown could be prevented by removing the buses’ connectivity cards, but they have refrained from this because it would also cut off the bus from additional networks.

• Tighter safety requirements for future procurements
• Moving ahead of the deployment of newer models of buses
• Getting ready for vehicles that could be more integrated and more challenging to safeguard

Scale of the Issue in Denmark

Denmark's largest public transport company manages over 450 China-made e-buses, with approximately 260 of these made by Yutong.

“Electric buses – just as electric cars – can be disabled from afar if their operating programs have web access,” explained a top management official. “This is not a China-made vehicle problem. It is a problem for every kind of vehicles and devices with China-produced components built in.”

Government Assessment and Alerts

The Danish agency for public safety and crisis response indicated that it was had no knowledge of any specific cases in which electric buses had been shut down, but warned that the vehicles were equipped with “secondary systems with web connection and sensors (imaging devices, audio recorders, location tracking) that can represent weaknesses which could be exploited to hinder bus operations”.

Producer Statement and Data Security

The manufacturer said it “strictly complies with applicable laws and sector requirements” and that vehicle terminal data in the EU were kept at a server facility in Frankfurt.

“The information is used solely for transport servicing, improvement and improvement to meet customers’ after-sales service needs,” commented a spokesperson. “These details is protected by data encoding and security protocols. No one is authorized to see this data without user permission.”

Political Response and Worries

A political representative commented that Denmark has been “far too delayed” when it came to reliance upon Chinese companies.

“This is a major issue. We should not be so leaning on a country that has ethics and standards so unlike Denmark,” he added. While Denmark was attempting to enhance its resilience amid accusations of hybrid attacks by Russia, “it's hardly robust to be fully leaning on China”.

Transportation authorities in Norway chose not to respond on the matter.