November 5, 2025
SIM City on Wheels
Norway reviews cybersecurity after remote-access feature found in Chinese buses
Hidden SIMs, remote shutdown fears — commenters cry ‘spy bus’ while others shrug
TLDR: Norway found hidden SIM cards inside Chinese-made city buses and launched a security review; the cards could enable remote control, though no abuse was found. Online, half the crowd yells ‘spy bus,’ others say every modern vehicle phones home, and some worry our laptops and phones are next.
Norway’s transit agency Ruter says it found hidden SIM cards in Chinese-made Yutong buses — a potential “remote off switch” — and yanked them out, triggering a government security review. Officials stress there’s no evidence of abuse, just a scary what-if, while Norway tightens rules and firewalls to keep control. Meanwhile, about 850 of these buses run in Norway, including 300 around Oslo.
Commenters? Pure chaos. Some scream spy bus, others roll their eyes. User bronlund claims this is old news: today’s vehicles are already remote‑controllable. wood_spirit drops the real paranoia bomb: if these were eSIMs (embedded chips), “good luck finding them,” then notes BYD buses just rolled into Sweden. Another thread dredges up that infamous European rail backdoor saga, asking if we ever learned the lesson.
The vibe splits three ways: security hawks want foreign suppliers like Yutong locked down; pragmatists say remote links are standard in fleets; and privacy folks escalate fast to laptops and iPhones — “if buses have hidden SIMs, what’s in our pockets?” Memes fly: “Put the bus in Airplane Mode,” “Find My Bus,” and “Who’s driving — the driver or the cloud?”
Bottom line: Norway says the risk is low, but the internet’s verdict is loud — trust no bus.
Key Points
- •Norway launched a cybersecurity review after Ruter found hidden SIM cards in Yutong electric buses.
- •Internal tests revealed Romanian SIM cards that could theoretically enable remote shutdowns or interference via software updates.
- •Ruter removed the SIM cards and is strengthening procurement rules, firewalls, and cloud-security requirements to ensure local control.
- •Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård said the government is assessing supplier risks from countries outside Norway’s security alliances.
- •About 1,300 electric buses operate in Norway, roughly 850 from Yutong, with 300 running in Oslo and Akershus; misuse is deemed unlikely but risks are taken seriously.