Hundreds of electric buses on Britain’s roads could be remotely switched off by China with a “kill switch”, Britain’s security services have found.
The buses are connected to the internet by onboard SIM cards that are intended to be used for software updates, but could also be vulnerable to meddling by Beijing, officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) believe.
The security experts launched an inquiry in November after concerns were raised in Norway that Yutong electric buses from China could be remotely “stopped or rendered inoperable by the manufacturer”.
The NCSC, the public-facing branch of Britain’s GCHQ, said it was “technically possible” for the buses to be remotely shut down from China.
But Whitehall sources said that ministers are not able to block the sale of the buses in Britain because there is no concrete evidence of Chinese subterfuge and that banning them could cause further diplomatic tension with Beijing.
“They haven’t found any evidence that it has actually happened,” a source familiar with the investigation said. “And there are wider considerations at play about how we deal with China, of which this is only a small part.”
Government security experts do not believe there is a serious risk that the buses will actually be remotely switched off, and investigators do not think the “kill switch” function has yet been used.
However, the findings will fuel concern about the level of Chinese control over British infrastructure, after calls from Labour MPs for Beijing to be shut out of industry, rail, water and power.
Downing Street has instead pushed for more foreign investment from China, which ministers believe will boost economic growth and provide private sector capital for Labour’s green power plans.
China relations
Later this month, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to become the first British prime minister to travel to China since 2018.
The Government is expected to approve the construction of a major new Chinese embassy in the City of London this month, despite fears over its proximity to crucial underground cables carrying financial data and redacted plans for secret basements.
Labour’s push to cut carbon emissions from public transport has seen dozens more Yutong buses deployed on Britain’s streets, even since Norway’s discovery in October that the bus batteries could be remotely accessed and disconnected by their manufacturer.
