Fourteen Members of the European Parliament have formally asked the European Commission to investigate BYD over cybersecurity concerns. In a written request submitted on November 4, the lawmakers — an initiative led by French MEP François Kalfon — urged the EU executive to have its cybersecurity agency assess the Chinese carmaker and consider designating the company a high-risk supplier.
The concerns focus on the sensor hardware that ships with modern connected cars: cameras, GPS systems, microphones and other data-collecting equipment. According to Gasgoo, the MEPs also want the Commission to evaluate whether restrictions on BYD vehicles should follow if the assessment confirms the risks. BYD has publicly responded to the initiative, Motor1 reports, but any next steps now rest with the Commission and its cybersecurity experts.
The timing is uncomfortable for the industry. Market researcher Dataforce puts Chinese brands, including BYD and Chery, at 14.5 percent of European new-car registrations in September 2026 — almost three percentage points more than in August. A high-risk designation, if it ever came, would land on a player that has become a fixture of European showrooms rather than a niche importer.
For now, the move is a request, not a ruling: no restrictions are in place, and it remains up to the Commission whether to task the cybersecurity agency at all. Still, the initiative signals that vehicle data security is climbing the political agenda in Brussels, and dealers stocking Chinese brands will be watching closely to see whether parliamentary appeals harden into binding requirements.
Whatever Brussels decides will take time, and buyers do not have to wait to make an informed choice. Anyone weighing a BYD — or comparing it against European, Korean and Japanese rivals — can browse more than 70,000 vehicles on WorldTrader24, Europe's marketplace, comparing models, prices and conditions side by side before the regulatory picture becomes any clearer.
