China could use "kill-switch" on buses in Dutch cities, says Cabinet member
China could potentially use a “kill switch” to shut down Chinese buses in the Netherlands, according to State Secretary Annet Bertram (CDA). It cannot be ruled out that “vehicles can be restricted or disabled remotely,” she said in response to questions from JA21 MP Daniël van den Berg, RTL Nieuws reports.
She added: “To date, no evidence has been provided that unwanted remote manipulation is actually possible or has been carried out.”
The MP’s questions were in response to political unrest in Noord-Brabant about electric buses by Chinese manufacturers BYD and Yutong operating in the province. According to RTL, there are over 1,100 electric buses from Chinese manufacturers operating throughout the Netherlands, accounting for approximately 21 percent of all electric buses in Dutch public transport.
Manufacturers have remote access to these buses for updates and to read out data in case of a malfunction. That is convenient, but also entails risks, the State Secretary said.
The responsibility for the purchasing of the buses involved lies with the regions and provinces. Bertram said she has asked them about the concerns, and according to them, the suppliers reject being able to remotely shut down the vehicles.
The State Secretary will work with the regions and provinces to examine whether anything needs to change in the way they conclude contracts, she said.
Bertram also wrote that an earlier study into the national security risks of smart vehicles revealed that espionage and sabotage may also be concerns. That study was not made public. But the State Secretary said that she intends to advocate strongly in Europe to reduce these risks.
