BRIEF: U.K. probes Yutong electric buses for remote shut down capabilities

The U.K. government is investigating whether hundreds of Chinese-made electric buses could be remotely deactivated, highlighting Britain’s growing concerns over “made in China” high-tech products.

According to the Financial Times, Britain’s Department for Transport is working with the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to assess whether Chinese bus maker Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co. Ltd. (600066.SH) has remote access to vehicle control systems for software updates or diagnostics.

The probe follows a recent finding in Norway, where public transport operator Ruter discovered that Yutong’s headquarters in Zhengzhou could “stop or disable” its buses in the country. Denmark has since launched a similar review. Both Norwegian and Danish tests confirmed that Yutong buses have remote access to battery and power management systems — meaning the manufacturer could theoretically disable them.

Denmark’s largest public transport company, Movia, noted that such remote control features are common among electric vehicles, including those produced by Western makers.

Yutong has already supplied around 700 electric buses to Britain, serving cities such as Nottingham, South Wales and Glasgow, operated by groups including Stagecoach and FirstBus. The company also hopes to expand into the London market with a new double-decker electric model.

Yutong said it strictly complies with local laws and data protection regulations, adding that remote data is used solely for maintenance and optimization, protected by encryption and access control, and that it never accessed such information without authorization.

By Lee Shih Ta

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