Security concerns over Chinese-made Yutong fleet dismissed

Many petrol and electric vehicles, including mainstream brands such as Tesla and Volkswagen, are connected to the internet to enable “over-the-air” software updates.

Security concerns have been raised for years, but there is no evidence that Yutong has tried to interfere with the operation of its vehicles. There is also no suggestion the buses could be remotely controlled, or their cameras accessed.

When first trialled, the Brisbane buses were described as similar to those in the ACT. Transport Canberra said it was investigating its fleet out of an abundance of caution, but it understood the vehicles were a different model to those under scrutiny overseas.

“[We] have commenced further investigation and are working with the local distributor … on actively assessing the validity of these reports,” a spokesperson said.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner clarified that if further concerns did emerge, the impact on commuters in Brisbane would likely be negligible.

“I’m relieved to hear that Councillor Wines is not engaged in espionage,” he told the chamber.

“If there was a problem with four City Loop buses, theoretically, what would we do? Would the city grind to a halt? No, we’d find four other buses to replace them immediately and it’d be fine.”

Yutong, which has operated for decades, claims to have exported about 110,000 buses to more than 100 countries.

The buses trialled in Brisbane included airconditioning and on-board phone charging. They could reportedly run for a full day on a single charge.

The company did not respond to a request for comment. It told UK papers at the start of November it “strictly complies with the applicable laws, regulations and industry standards of the locations where its vehicles operate”.

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