Contributor: Edward Lynch-Bell
Battery safety is not managed solely in the realm of software … making it highly unlikely that a catastrophic event could be remotely initiated. (Ed Lynch-Bell)
Misinformation and disinformation are some of the biggest threats to a rapid transition to a clean, decarbonised global economy. So much so that the Australian Senate has set up the Senate Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy to understand the impact of misinformation and disinformation in the energy transition.
It’s often said that a lie can go round the world before the truth can get its boots on; but half-truths amble, mutate, and metastasise.
The AFR report yesterday about the concern over Chinese-made Yutong buses – a kill switch has been found that could stop buses in their tracks, and the UK National Cybersecurity Centre and Department for Transport is investigating.
“Chinese Security services could potentially interfere with vehicles through SIM cards that are meant to be used for software updates”, the agencies concluded this month. “Though there was no evidence the function had been used to date”
This is of such concern to the UK National Cybersecurity Centre that they have published absolutely nothing about this threat, neither has the UK Department for Transport. The report stems from testing that Ruter, a Norwegian bus operator, conducted on their electric buses—testing that was announced to the media in October 2024. Since then, the story has been picked up by the ABC and the Guardian in November 2025- and only finding column space in the Australian Financial Review in mid-January, yesterday.
Most of the column inches are given over to Alastair MacGibbon, Chief Strategy Officer of CyberCX, who, among other things, is described as a ‘vocal critic of the security risks associated with Chinese-made EVs’.
Back in September it was widely reported that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a ride in a Great Wall Motors-manufactured SUV. And Mr MacGibbon was available for interviews on 7 News to describe a scenario where a Chinese OEM remotely detonated the battery in an EV.
Experiential Facts about EV Batteries
Ed Lynton-Bell reiterates his position; “I have a long history with batteries and energy storage. Battery safety is not managed solely in the realm of software—the physical cells and packs have to be designed and tested to exceed stringent safety standards to prevent and arrest thermal runaway, making it highly unlikely that a catastrophic event could be remotely initiated.”
The Real Threats Get Less Attention
Nonetheless, there are genuine threats out there. Late in 2024, Stephanie Crowe, the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre at the Australian Signals Directorate, alerted Australians to the danger that internet-connected vehicles such as EVs had vulnerabilities like any other system connected to the web – including around the collection of personal data and the apps that linked the vehicle to a driver’s mobile phone. When speaking to the Australian Financial Review she was quoted as saying, “If, for example, a cybercriminal … compromised an individual’s phone and the app that they use to unlock their car, for example, it’s not secure. There is technical plausibility that a malicious actor could … unlock your car and get it started, without you having control over that.”
Vehicles are vulnerable. If you look through the scholarly research on the subject, browse the proceedings of the USENIX Vehicle Sec conferences, for example, you can find many vulnerabilities in vehicles and associated systems, many of which are open and available to malicious actors from anywhere in the world.
Despite all of this, Mr MacGibbon is strangely silent on the threats and vulnerabilities on EVs and vehicles with petrol and diesel engines that don’t come from one specific country.
The Solution Is Simpler Than the Hysteria Suggests
So how do we deal with this threat to our critical transport infrastructure? Well, luckily Ruter has the answer:
“Currently, Ruter can disconnect the bus from the internet by removing the SIM card, as all connectivity to the network goes through this single point. This ensures that we retain local control if necessary.”
Clearly, sovereign cyber security and critical infrastructure is an issue for all nations – anywhere in the world.
CONTRIBUTOR: Edward Lynch-Bell. In over 15 years, Ed has taken innovations from laboratory to large-scale manufacturing (Aquion Energy’s sodium-ion batteries), launched products that defined markets (AGL Energy’s home battery program), established safety standards that became national regulations (Australia’s lithium-ion battery protocols), and built infrastructure networks at commercial scale (Evie Networks’ DC fast-charging rollout—Australia’s largest). Engineering Educated at Carnegie Mellon USA, Politecnico di Torino Italy, and University of Sheffield UK, Ed now runs Second Mouse, a boutique consultancy that helps corporates and startups navigate the gap between “promising technology” and “bankable business.”
Ed is co-founder of EV Meetups in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. The next Melbourne EV Meetup Event is on Thursday February 5th, 2026. 5.30pm – 8.30pm. Bookings here>>>
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FNGN Comment: Australia’s renewable energy push is colliding with cybersecurity concerns, as investigations increasingly scrutinise Chinese-manufactured offshore and onshore wind turbines, and the implications for imports and grid security. Australia could learn from Germany.
Germany recognises potential cybersecurity risks with components tied to Chinese suppliers and is incorporating those concerns into security frameworks and industrial policy. The focus is on compliance with cybersecurity standards and supply-chain diversification rather than explicit prohibition.
Lead image credit: 259814_Gruve_Foto Eilif Swensen-22
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