Podcast Summary

Podcast: Facts Matter
Host: Roman (The Epoch Times)
Episode: Tests Show Chinese-made Buses Have Kill Switches, Can Be Halted Remotely
Date: December 5, 2025

Main Theme

This episode investigates the discovery that Chinese-made industrial products, particularly buses used in Europe, are equipped with communication devices and "kill switches"—features that could allow the vehicles and other infrastructure to be disabled remotely, potentially posing a national security threat. The host explores how these vulnerabilities have been detected, their implications, and the broader risks associated with reliance on critical Chinese-made technology, with a special focus on electric buses in Norway and the United States.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: The Allure and Rise of Chinese Tech (00:00–03:00)

• Recent social media trends praise Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) for their quality, design, price, and performance.
• U.S. reluctance to allow Chinese EVs into its market is often attributed to fears of undermining domestic auto manufacturing.
• Host warns: There's more to the story when dealing with "a non-normal country, a communist nation like China. Nothing is ever as it seems." (01:01)

Quote:
"There is another factor to consider here, which is that when you're dealing with a non-normal country, a communist nation like China, nothing is ever as it seems."
— Roman [01:00]

2. Norway's EV Transformation & Dependence on Imports (03:00–08:00)

• Norway leads the world in EV adoption:
  • 2023: 82% of new car sales were EVs
  • 2024: 89%
• Achieved through:
  • Penalizing gas and diesel with higher taxes
  • Generous incentives for EV buyers (import fee exemptions, reduced tolls)
• No domestic auto industry = full reliance on imports, easing policy implementation.
• Oslo aims for net-zero by converting its city bus fleet to electric.

3. Chinese Buses in Norway: Features & Backdoor Discovery (08:00–17:00)

Arrival and Features

• In 2018, Norway introduced articulated electric buses made by BYD (China).
• By 2025, 287 more Chinese buses (Yutong Group) were added—now 20% of Oslo's fleet.
• Buses customized for Norway with advanced driver assistance, collision mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.

The "Kill Switch" Revelation

• Ruter (Oslo's public transit authority) conducted secret tests:
  • Compared a Chinese Yutong bus with a comparable Dutch-made model.
  • Tests took place in underground mines (acting as a Faraday cage).

Findings:

• Chinese bus could be remotely disabled from China via over-the-air updates.
• European bus could not.
• Remote access included software updates, battery systems, and ability to render the vehicle unusable.

Quote:
"The researchers noted that the Chinese, they can remotely access software updates, diagnostics, and the battery systems alongside with the ability to render them all unusable... Imagine having to be the local government official, having to tell your constituents that the fleet of electric buses that you recently purchased from China using tax dollars have a backdoor kill switch."
— Roman [13:40]

• Cameras on buses are not Internet-connected, so buses cannot be driven remotely, but they can be stopped remotely.
• Yutong spokesperson stated:
  • "The data is encrypted and is used solely for vehicle-related maintenance, optimization, and improvement to meet customers' after sales service needs." (15:58)
• Host counters: The existence of the kill switch, not just its intended purpose, is what matters.

Quote:
"The question is not why they have this capability, it's the fact that they do have the capability to turn the buses off today and for the next 20 years."
— Roman [16:42]

4. Norway’s Response & Security Changes (17:00–19:00)

• Ruter's immediate action: Removed SIM cards from buses to disconnect them from the Internet.
• Long-term:
  • Tougher future procurement rules
  • Stronger firewalls and local control
  • Explicit cybersecurity requirements for future contracts

5. Pattern of Vulnerabilities in Other Chinese Industrial Products (19:00–24:20)

• Similar vulnerabilities found globally in Chinese-made:
  • Cranes (e.g., ZPMC—80% of U.S. market; equipped with undocumented modems that could transmit dock information to China)
  • Solar inverter units (rogue, undocumented communication devices discovered capable of circumventing firewalls)

Quotable Insight:
"Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely or change their settings could destabilize power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts."
— Roman reading from report [22:24]

6. The U.S. Context: Electric Buses, Solar Inverters, and Cranes (24:20–28:40)

• U.S. does not import Yutong buses, but BYD buses are present (over 1,000 out of ~6,453 battery electric transit buses).
• 2025: U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security demands information from BYD regarding national security concerns.
  • Deadline for company compliance: June 11, 2025
  • As of episode recording, no report or compliance update released.

Quote:
"If they get back to us or if they release a report, we'll do a follow up episode about these Chinese electric buses here in the U.S."
— Roman [28:20]

7. Implications and Public Debate (28:40–End)

• Host invites audience to weigh in:
  • Do you think U.S.-based Chinese buses have similar backdoor kill switches?
  • Should government officials continue importing critical infrastructure from China given CCP's "open" stance on subverting America?
• Promotes further research and engagement with episode data sources.

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• Concerns about the true purpose of backdoors and kill switches: [16:42]
• Parallel drawn to security risks in solar and energy grids: [21:38–22:30]
• House Homeland Security's escalating investigation into BYD buses in the U.S.: [25:50–28:20]

Notable Quotes (with attribution)

• "There is another factor to consider here, which is that when you're dealing with a non-normal country, a communist nation like China, nothing is ever as it seems."
  — Roman [01:00]

• "The question is not why they have this capability, it's the fact that they do have the capability to turn the buses off today and for the next 20 years."
  — Roman [16:42]

• "Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely or change their settings could destabilize power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts."
  — Quoting US experts, read by Roman [22:24]

Conclusion

Facts Matter lays out a compelling, well-researched case that Chinese-manufactured industrial technology—particularly in public transportation and critical infrastructure—poses a direct security risk due to backdoor controls and kill switches that can be activated remotely. The episode emphasizes the need for stricter procurement standards, robust cybersecurity, and a national conversation about the risks and trade-offs associated with importing essential technology from potentially adversarial nations.

For further details, consult the recommended research links provided in the episode description.