Chinese electric vehicles are accelerating their entry into the European market. At the same time, European researchers are loudly warning not to underestimate the risks of Chinese electric vehicles collecting intelligence in Europe.
Jakub Janda, Director of the European Values Security Policy Center in the Czech Republic, recently posted on the social media platform X, stating several things that many European intelligence agencies will tell you about Chinese electric vehicles in Europe.
He wrote:
1) “Each electric vehicle is a super sensor. It has hundreds of sensors that collect information about the locations and individuals it passes by.
2) Every Chinese entity (individual or company) must act as a representative of the Chinese (CCP) government and engage in espionage activities (equivalent to intelligence collection). This is a hard law used and enforced by the Chinese government.
3) Therefore, each Chinese electric vehicle is, and will be, a tool for Chinese national intelligence collection, sending data to China or Chinese entities.
4) Given the strategic alliance between Russia and China against Western democratic countries, each Chinese electric vehicle will contribute to intelligence collection for the Chinese government. Beijing shares intelligence with its main ally, Russia.”
He mentioned that if Europe were to face a Russian attack in the coming years, plunging into a defensive battle, any intelligence collected by Chinese electric vehicles in Europe would help improve Russia’s plans for attacking NATO.
In March, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo publicly stated that Beijing could pose significant national security risks to the United States through information transmission from Chinese-produced electric vehicles, obtaining data on geographic locations, personal information, and more.
“Do you want to send this data to Beijing?” she questioned, referring to the advanced electric and self-driving vehicles equipped with thousands of semiconductors and sensors that collect vast amounts of information about drivers, vehicle locations, and the surrounding environment.
Raimondo warned that due to subsidies provided by the Chinese government for electric vehicles, the number of Chinese-produced electric vehicles sold in Europe has increased significantly in the past year or two. This not only distorts trade but also poses national security risks.
The Financial Times reported on Sunday, July 21st that Sony Honda Mobile CEO Yasuhide Mizuno stated that although the United States raising tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 100% effectively excludes brands like BYD and NIO, Japanese car manufacturers should not be complacent.
According to his estimates, the development time for Chinese electric vehicles (from concept to production) has been shortened to 18 months, less than half the time it takes for Japan to develop a car.
He cautioned that if Japan cannot innovate faster, it may become a “follower” of Chinese competitors.
In early July, BYD signed a factory agreement with Turkey, preparing to invest approximately $1 billion to produce 150,000 electric and hybrid vehicles annually. The factory is expected to start production by the end of 2026 and create up to 5,000 jobs.
According to statements, as BYD’s goal is to reach European customers, this move will enhance BYD’s “logistics efficiency.”
While Turkey is not a member of the European Union, it has a customs agreement with the EU. Last week, the EU advanced plans to impose temporary tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, meaning BYD may need to pay an additional 17.4% tariff on top of the current 10% tariff. Once classified as a Turkish domestic vehicle, BYD may bypass tariff restrictions.