Osegi
Automotive·2 min read

Bundeswehr bans BYD, Geely and NIO cars from secure barracks zones

German soldiers driving certain Chinese electric cars now have to park outside the gate and walk. The army fears onboard cameras and sensors, and is pulling DJI drones too.

A soldier walking toward a German army barracks gate past a parked electric car.
Image: Frandroid
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If you drive a BYD, Geely or NIO and serve in the German army, your commute just got longer. The Bundeswehr no longer lets certain models of these brands into the secure zones of its barracks, so soldiers park outside and walk the rest.

According to Der Spiegel, which reported it on Tuesday 10 November, lists of banned models are circulating inside the army. The worry is that the many cameras and sensors in these cars could record sensitive information and send it to Chinese authorities. The Defence Ministry told AFP that some vehicle types are barred from high-security military areas, but did not say whether Chinese models are on the list. The lists are not public, so other Chinese brands may be affected. The ministry says any sensor that could be used for surveillance is a risk: cameras, radar, microphones and data transmission systems.

Why is the German army banning Chinese cars?

The fear is espionage, though nothing has been proven in public. Norway offers a messy example. During the "Hovedstad" exercise in September, rental cars made in China filmed the security checks at a military camp entrance. Cybernews later said the footage came from a 360-degree dashcam common on the Deepal cars involved, a Changan brand, and experts called spying unproven. The cars came from Hertz Norway, a subsidiary of Volvo Cars, which Geely controls. Norway did not ban Chinese cars, judging a blanket ban too costly for the security gained.

Poland went further in February 2026, closing protected military sites to Chinese cars and to any car able to record position, image or sound. It plans an audit procedure that could let carmakers regain access.

DJI drones are being pulled too

An order sent across the Bundeswehr in recent weeks bans small commercial Chinese drones, DJI first among them, from barracks and training grounds with immediate effect. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius's ministry confirmed the army will use no more Chinese models, and that existing ones will be replaced by German or European products. An insider told Spiegel that military counter-intelligence found traces of data being copied out of Bundeswehr drones. At a drone exercise in Husum in early November, soldiers used no Chinese models. No replacement timetable has been published.

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Tags:bundeswehrbydgeelyniodjichinese cars

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