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Security risk or IT fairy tale? China's electric buses for Deutsche Bahn!
Deutsche Bahn plans to purchase over 3,000 buses, including 200 electric buses from BYD, raising safety concerns.
Security risk or IT fairy tale? China's electric buses for Deutsche Bahn!
In an ambitious step, Deutsche Bahn has ordered over 3,300 new buses worth more than a billion euros. The vehicles include almost 200 electric buses from the Chinese manufacturer BYD. But the delivery of these buses is causing excitement and skepticism - especially when it comes to the security of critical infrastructure.
Experts and politicians are concerned that the Chinese buses could potentially be disabled remotely. Konstantin von Notz, deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee, has already warned that there are security risks lurking in the digital architecture of modern electric buses. Sahin Albayrak from the TU Berlin confirms that such remote control is technically feasible. Norwegian tests have shown that buses manufactured by Yutong are actually equipped with a SIM card that allows digital access to the vehicles nau.ch reports that ....
Safety put to the test
However, Deutsche Bahn emphasizes that the BYD buses delivered will meet all current approval and safety requirements. BYD itself rejects the allegations and emphasizes that remote control is not possible and software updates are only carried out with the customer's consent merkur.de reports that ....
The misleading idea that buses could be managed by the manufacturer with a kind of “digital key” from China casts a dark shadow over future transactions. Experts point out that if the political climate between Germany and China worsens, instructions from the Chinese Communist Party could theoretically lead to the buses being paralyzed. This affects not only the e-buses, but also the entire digital infrastructure of the modes of transport, which are of central importance for modern, efficient mobility sifo.de explains that ....
Political debates and critical infrastructure
The order for BYD buses comes at a time when Germany is seeking to reduce its dependence on China. In the federal government's new China strategy, the protection of critical infrastructure, including transport systems, is considered particularly important. A commission should take a closer look at the security-relevant economic relations between Germany and China to ensure that such risks can be avoided in the future nau.ch reports that ....
The controversies surrounding the bus deliveries are reminiscent of earlier discussions about the security risks of Chinese technologies, such as Huawei and ZTE in the 5G network or wind turbines from the manufacturer Mingyang. This makes it clear: While progress in the field of electromobility is being driven forward, the protection of sensitive technologies and infrastructures remains a challenge that cannot be underestimated.
Overall, this is a complex situation in which economic interests and security concerns are closely intertwined. Germany must carefully weigh future decisions to meet both infrastructure and security needs.