Germany Restricts Connected Vehicles Near Military Sites

Germany's Bundeswehr has tightened access rules for connected vehicles at certain military security zones and halted purchases of Chinese commercial drones, citing the data collection capabilities of vehicle sensor suites and concerns over equipment security.

Access rules, named manufacturers and implementation

According to Der Spiegel, the Bundeswehr circulated a list identifying Chinese automakers BYD, Geely and NIO; vehicles from those firms are no longer allowed to enter specified military security zones, and soldiers who own affected cars are to leave them outside designated areas. The report attributed the list to Bundeswehr internal guidance.

• BYD
• Geely
• NIO

Defense Ministry spokesperson Mitko Muller told a federal press conference that the government is not imposing a blanket ban on manufacturers or vehicles from particular countries. Muller said the concern is the ability of sensors to collect information rather than a vehicle's country of origin. Local security officers will assess what a vehicle's microphone, camera, radar and other sensors can capture and then determine where connected vehicles may park or drive within and around sensitive sites. A restricted car may be required to use parking or driving areas farther from the protected perimeter.

Der Spiegel's report named only Chinese manufacturers, but the ministry's position makes clear that any connected vehicle could present a security risk if its sensors and onboard connectivity allow information to be exchanged with external services. Muller confirmed the rules are not limited by nationality and noted that highly connected models, including those from US manufacturers, fall under the same sensor-based scrutiny.

Drones, procurement changes and international regulatory context

The Bundeswehr has also changed its handling of commercially available drones. Under its 2024 drone strategy, commanders had been allowed to procure certain DJI and other commercial systems for training, and approved products from Chinese manufacturers such as SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. were listed. The Defense Ministry has stopped purchasing Chinese drones and will phase out existing systems it considers to have lower security standards. The military will continue using targeted equipment until stocks are depleted or individual systems become unusable, and future purchases will come from German or European suppliers that meet the required security standards.

Internationally, Washington has adopted a national regulatory framework addressing connected-vehicle technology and announced measures targeting Chinese and Russian software and hardware over data privacy and national security concerns. The US will apply software-based restrictions beginning with model year 2027 and will restrict imports of covered vehicle connectivity hardware from model year 2030.