BYD Electric Cars Face EU Security Scrutiny
Owners and buyers of Chinese-made connected electric cars should watch how European regulators treat remote data access.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
Live Poll
Would you trust a Chinese-owned car brand to keep your driving data private?
Fourteen members of the European Parliament have asked the European Commission to assess whether BYD vehicles pose a security threat to Europe. The request follows a US military ban on BYD vehicles at Kadena Air Base on Japan's Okinawa island, which cited an unacceptable and unmitigable risk.
Why it matters
Concern centers on China's 2017 national intelligence law, which requires companies to cooperate with the state, and on Norwegian soldiers who found Chinese rental vehicles filmed them and their access codes to military bases. For households and fleet buyers considering Chinese-made electric cars, the debate raises questions about connected-vehicle data access that regulators are now formally reviewing.
Fourteen MEPs filed written questions asking the EU cybersecurity agency to assess the threat level posed by BYD, and the Commission typically has six weeks to respond. BYD says no data it processes or stores can be remotely accessed from China.
The players
BYD
Chinese electric-vehicle maker with a production facility in Hungary and plans for more European plants, subject to the current security scrutiny.
European Commission
The EU executive body that must respond to lawmakers' written questions, typically within six weeks, and proposes public tender rules.
Francois Kalfon
French member of the European Parliament who wrote to the French prime minister urging measures against spying by Chinese connected vehicles.
Sebastien Lecornu
French Prime Minister who received a letter from Francois Kalfon urging measures to contain spying risks from Chinese connected vehicles.
The details
Lawmakers want the bloc's cybersecurity agency to evaluate whether connected Chinese vehicles could expose sensitive information through remote data access. The questions also ask whether BYD should be added to a list of high-risk suppliers, a designation that could affect how public procurement is handled. French MEP Francois Kalfon wrote to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu urging a series of measures to contain spying risks from Chinese connected vehicles. The Commission proposed new public tender rules in September, which form part of the policy backdrop for these questions.
Timeline
2017: China enacted its national intelligence law requiring companies to cooperate with the state.
September 2026: The European Commission proposed new public tender rules.
October 2026: The US military banned BYD vehicles from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.
November 4, 2026: MEPs submitted written questions to the European Commission.
The Home Front
The scrutiny of BYD sits alongside the EU's wider public tender reform and the 2017 Chinese intelligence law, which is the legal basis Kalfon cites for an unacceptable security risk. For buyers, it signals that connected-vehicle data policy is becoming a procurement and regulatory issue rather than only a consumer-product question.
If you own or are considering a Chinese-made connected electric car, check what data the manufacturer collects and whether remote access is described in your owner documentation. Keep your registration and warranty paperwork on file, and consult a licensed installer or dealer before adding any aftermarket connected device to the vehicle.
The takeaway
Connected-vehicle data access is now a formal policy question in Europe, not just a consumer concern. Read the privacy terms that come with any connected car before you buy, and treat the manufacturer's data-handling statements as claims to verify over time.
Further reading
For broader context on how these cars are changing, see our coverage of Electric Vehicles.
Live Poll
Would you trust a Chinese-owned car brand to keep your driving data private?
