'Urgent' calls for greater transparency on data collection following report on Chinese car hacking

The peak body for new-car dealers in Australia is calling for car companies to work together with the Australian Government to address concerns over how new 'connected' vehicles collect and store data.

The CEO of the Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA), James Voortman, said new-car dealers are increasingly facing questions from customers about what information new vehicles collect and what functions or information can be accessed remotely – and what safeguards are in place to keep vehicles secure.

"Australian car buyers are asking legitimate questions about connected vehicle technologies and deserve clear answers,” said Mr Voortman in a press release, calling for greater collaboration between automakers, regulators, security agencies and other stakeholders.

"Those questions are not limited to privacy and data collection. Customers also want to understand how these technologies operate, what protections are in place and how manufacturers and regulators are managing potential cybersecurity and safety risks.

"We need an urgent debate on this issue informed by the facts, so that as an industry we can provide car buyers with confidence. We also need a thorough understanding of what the future regulatory landscape looks like.

"Manufacturers are responsible for the technologies they introduce to the Australian market, while government agencies and regulators play a critical role in ensuring appropriate oversight and public confidence.

"If Australians are expected to embrace increasingly connected vehicles, there must also be a coordinated effort to ensure clear and accessible information is available to both industry and the public."

It follows a report from the ABC’s Four Corners program, which exposed the vulnerabilities of modern connected vehicles – making an example out of BYD and Xpeng, given the rise of not only these brands but Chinese vehicles in general on the Australian market.

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“An electric vehicle made by a company headquartered in China is subject to the laws of China, and particularly the national security laws, which oblige them to assist China's intelligence agencies,” Shadow Minister for Defence James Paterson told Four Corners.

“So, a connected EV vehicle from China is the highest-risk product in the marketplace, and right now there's nothing that says to that brand what data you can collect on Australians, how it can be stored, when it can be transmitted.”

An Xpeng insider demonstrated to the program that the company can remotely access the vehicle’s location, speed, steering wheel angle, seat position, passenger occupancy, and whether the vehicle is braking or accelerating.

However, the company confirmed to the ABC that it can’t remotely immobilise or disable a customer’s vehicle in Australia, and there’s no capability for this to be done from China or by any third party.