Norwegian soldiers discovered that Chinese-made rental cars had recorded military movements and security codes during a major defence exercise near Oslo, raising concerns about the security of data collected by modern vehicles.
The recordings were discovered during Exercise Hovedstad in September, when Norway’s Home Guard used vehicles rented through Hertz. At least two of the cars were reportedly manufactured by Chinese automaker Deepal, a brand owned by Changan Automobile.
According to Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, the vehicles stored video showing soldiers entering and leaving the cars, their movements between locations and security codes entered at military gates.
The recordings were deleted from the vehicles after the exercise, but it remains unclear whether copies were stored elsewhere.
The incident has prompted questions in Norway’s parliament. Opposition politician Himanshu Gulati has asked Defence Minister Tore Onshuus Sandvik whether sufficient security assessments were carried out before allowing the vehicles to be used at military facilities.
Hertz Norway’s ownership structure is linked through Volvo Cars to China’s Geely group. Volvo Cars has rejected suggestions that Chinese ownership itself represents a security risk.
Norway’s Armed Forces say they do not have a general ban on vehicles manufactured in particular countries.
The case highlights growing concerns about the cameras, sensors and data-storage systems installed in modern connected vehicles. There is no evidence in the reports that the recordings were deliberately collected for Chinese intelligence purposes.
Sources: Dagens Næringsliv, Forsvarets forum, Norwegian Parliament.
