EU lawmakers urge restrictions on BYD vehicles over security concerns

European lawmakers have called for restrictions on Chinese automaker BYD over potential security risks, including excluding it from public procurement and limiting its vehicles’ access to military facilities.

French lawmaker Francois Kalfon said in a statement Wednesday that he had written to French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and approached the European Commission alongside eight other lawmakers.

Cameras, GPS systems, microphones and laser sensors in Chinese connected vehicles could collect sensitive information near military bases and strategic infrastructure, he warned.

Kalfon said Britain and Poland had restricted Chinese vehicles’ access to military installations, while the US military had banned BYD vehicles from its Kadena base in Japan. France had yet to adopt similar measures, he added.

He urged France and the EU to act before a confirmed espionage incident, citing the need to protect strategic sites against hybrid threats.

His proposals include designating BYD a high-risk supplier under EU cybersecurity legislation currently under negotiation and restricting imports of its vehicles.