EU lawmakers call for BYD restrictions over security concerns

Some members of the European Parliament (EP) have called for Chinese carmaker BYD to be excluded from public procurement contracts and for its vehicles to be barred from military facilities and sensitive locations, citing potential security risks.

European Parliament member Francois Kalfon announced on his personal website that he had joined eight other lawmakers in submitting a request to the European Commission over potential espionage risks posed by connected vehicles manufactured by Chinese companies. He also sent a letter to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

The statement argued that cameras, GPS systems, microphones and laser sensors installed in these vehicles could be used to collect sensitive data, potentially creating serious national security risks near military bases and strategic infrastructure.

It also noted that the United Kingdom and Poland have restricted access to military facilities for vehicles manufactured by Chinese companies, while the US military has banned BYD vehicles from its base in Japan. France, however, has yet to introduce similar security measures.

The statement stressed that France and the EU should not wait for a confirmed espionage incident before taking action, arguing that strategic facilities must be protected immediately amid growing hybrid warfare threats.

The lawmakers called on the French government and the European Commission to restrict BYD vehicles' access to military installations and sensitive infrastructure and exclude the company from public procurement contracts.

They also urged the EU to classify BYD as a high-risk supplier under the proposed cybersecurity regulations currently under negotiation and to consider restricting imports of BYD vehicles into Europe.

Photo: Instagram/byd_global