Inquiry into national security threats posed by Chinese-made EVs

Hon. Mark Mitchell

Associate Minister of National Security

Hon. Chris Penk

Minister of Defence

Hon. Chris Bishop

Minister of Transport

Good afternoon,  

PILLAR (Protecting Individual Life Liberty and Rights) is a New Zealand civil liberties advocacy organisation with a mission to protect and promote New Zealand’s heritage as a free, liberal and democratic society. A focus on freedom of speech, conscience, religion, thought and inquiry, right to privacy, right of assembly and association, ground our vision for a free New Zealand. 

As part of multiple concurrent campaigns, PILLAR seeks to promote policies which protect New Zealand against growing threats of foreign interference, transnational-repression, and transnational-crimes. 

We are writing to you in light of recent developments internationally noting that Chinese made Electronic Vehicles (EVs) pose an increasing threat to our national security. Ongoing energy pressures are likely to increase consumer demand for these vehicles, underscoring the importance of addressing these concerns proactively. We would like to ask whether considerations are being made by you and your office to address these concerns in New Zealand.  

Like-minded democracies such as the UK, Canada, the USA, and Australia have recently brought this matter to the highest levels of security consideration.  

Particularly, concerns and precautionary measures coming out of the UK’s Ministry of Defence in recent months has brought this matter to a head. It is reported that some Chinese made EVs have been banned from military sites, and other leased EV’s boldly marked with “MOD devices are NOT to be connected to vehicle.” 

As well as this, since late 2024, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has warned that “Chinese electric vehicles are a rolling security threat”. It was noted by them that home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had to take ‘precautions’ based on warnings from his own department to protect sensitive information from Burke’s own Chinese-made electric car. The United States has imposed tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese-made EVs, reflecting growing concerns around national security. 

Earlier this month, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, was asked what assessment his department had made of the potential national security impacts of Chinese manufactured electric vehicles, including potential vulnerabilities such as remote kill switch capabilities. This was paired with questions around, Chinese‑manufactured Cellular IoT Modules in defence‑adjacent supply chains, and other questions relating again to potential national security threats posed by Chinese-made connected vehicles. 

The Secretary of Defence noted that measures are actively being taken and more being considered to protect the UK’s long-term security across defence as well as other public services.  

Surveillance risks associated with all Chinese-made electric vehicles are real. The term, “computers on wheels,” highlights the extent of data collection and connectivity these cars possess. There are also concerns about remote control features, such as vehicle immobilisation (“kill switches”), which, if misused, could disrupt transport systems or leave drivers without control.  

These concerns have previously been raised for our public transport fleet of buses, as well as the inter-islander Cook Straight ferry recently commissioned to be built by Chinese manufacturers. 

In the contemporary security environment, such electronic systems present potential vectors for coercion and interference, given their capacity to collect and transmit sensitive personal and geolocation data. These EV’s present a serious risk to New Zealand’s national security, data sovereignty, data security, and the privacy of everyday New Zealanders. 

We would therefore be grateful if you could clarify the following:  

• Has the Minister received any advice on this matter?  

• Has any national security risk assessment been conducted specifically on connected or foreign-manufactured EVs operating in New Zealand? 

• What measures, if any, are being taken to mitigate the associated risks?   

• Whether there has been engagement with international counterparts in addressing this matter.  

Given the potential implications for national security and individual privacy, we believe this matter warrants urgent and transparent consideration. We welcome the opportunity to engage further with your office on this issue and to contribute to any future policy discussions. 

We await your response.  

Kind Regards,

PILLAR NZ