Danish Officials Rush to Close Safety Gap in Chinese E-powered Buses

Authorities from Denmark are actively investigating ways to shut an evident protection gap in hundreds of China-produced electric buses that permits them to be disabled remotely.

Investigation Prompted by Findings in Nearby Country

The probe comes after public transit officials in Norway, where these electric buses are also running, found that the Chinese supplier had online connectivity for software updates and diagnostics to the bus operating systems – which may be manipulated to disrupt transit while in transit.

“Our examination uncovered vulnerabilities that we are now addressing,” stated the top official of the transit agency. “National and local authorities have been alerted and must help with extra steps at a countrywide scale.”

Proposed Solution and Its Drawbacks

Their analysis found that distant shutdown could be avoided by removing the buses’ sim cards, but they have avoided this step because it would also cut off the bus from other systems.

• Tighter safety requirements for new acquisitions
• Taking steps prior to the arrival of next generation of buses
• Getting ready for vehicles that could be more integrated and more challenging to safeguard

Scale of the Problem in Denmark

The major Denmark public transport company manages 469 electric buses from China, with over 260 of these produced by Yutong.

“Electric transports – like electric cars – can be remotely deactivated if their digital systems have internet connectivity,” explained a senior operations executive. “This isn't just a Chinese bus problem. It is a problem for various sorts of vehicles and equipment with China-produced components installed.”

Official Evaluation and Warnings

Government bodies for public safety and emergency management stated that it was had no knowledge of any specific cases in which electric buses had been deactivated, but warned that the vehicles were equipped with “subsystems with internet connectivity and monitoring equipment (cameras, audio recorders, GPS) that can represent weaknesses which could be leveraged to disrupt bus operations”.

Manufacturer Statement and Information Protection

The manufacturer said it “rigorously follows with governing rules and commercial guidelines” and that bus system information in the EU were stored at a datacentre in Frankfurt.

“These records is used solely for vehicle-related maintenance, improvement and advancement to meet post-purchase service demands,” commented a official speaker. “This information is safeguarded with storage encryption and permission systems. Not anyone is authorized to see this data without client approval.”

Government Response and Worries

An elected official said that Denmark has been “way too slow” when it came to dependency regarding Chinese companies.

“This constitutes a major issue. We cannot afford to be so reliant upon a country that has values and ideals so different to Denmark,” he continued. At a time when Denmark was attempting to enhance its durability amid accusations of mixed warfare by Russia, “it's hardly robust to be totally dependent on China”.

Government transport officials in Norway chose not to respond on the matter.