Security concerns around Chinese electric vehicles
26.9.2023
Question for written answer E-002806/2023
to the Commission
Rule 138
Bart Groothuis (Renew), Caroline Nagtegaal (Renew)
Electric vehicles also have access to sensitive data, which increase in amount when added to the vehicles’ integration with personal devices and smart city applications. UK ministers warned[1] that China can use electric cars for espionage, which poses significant security risks. Chinese tracking devices[2] have also been discovered inside UK government cars. China has already banned Tesla in some cities[3] for certain political events and at military bases out of concerns that vehicle data could be exploited. It has also banned automotive companies from sending that data outside of China[4]. Furthermore, the European Court of Auditors found major shortcomings in European industrial policy on batteries[5], which endanger the goals of climate neutrality and maintaining a competitive automotive sector in the EU.
- 1.Has the Commission proposed or initiated a coordinated security risk assessment of Chinese electric vehicles in accordance with Article 22 of the NIS 2 Directive[6] or does it intend to do so in future ‘access to in-vehicle data’ legislation?
- 2.What measures can and will the Commission take to ensure that Chinese vehicles are specifically excluded in government procurements and to establish clear rules or standards to protect European data and allay espionage fears and cybersecurity risks around electric cars more generally?
- 3.What measures can or will the Commission take to ensure consistency between the zero-emission targets set for passenger cars and vans by 2035 and EU policy aiming to increase European battery production capacity?
Submitted: 26.9.2023
- [1] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/05/china-will-use-cars-to-spy-on-britain-ministers-fear/.
- [2] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11607735/Chinese-tracking-device-discovered-inside-UK-government-car-senior-politician-slams-Beijing.html.
- [3] https://www.wired.com/story/china-cars-surveillance-national-security/.
- [4] https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_9247655f-0fcc-47d8-aea3-1907d83d2ef6.
- [5] https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2023-15/SR-2023-15_EN.pdf.
- [6] Directive (EU) 2022/2555 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, amending Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 and Directive (EU) 2018/1972, and repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148 (NIS 2 Directive) (OJ L 333, 27.12.2022, p. 80).