The boss of Chinese carmaker BYD has addressed European drivers’ data protection concerns

BYD boss Michael Shu has reassured European customers that their connected car data will remain within the region. That means it’ll have the same protections we currently enjoy.

Speaking at the FT’s Future of the Car conference, the European head of the Chinese car maker – which launched the BYD Seal in Europe earlier this year – said managing customer data and staying compliant to GDPR was critical to the success of the brand in Europe.

Like the Seal, BYD also sells the Atto 3 and Dolphin on this continent. It's made connectivity and low cost a big part of its marketing strategy.

Shu said: “We have our internal processes to control but [the key takeaway is] no data will transfer outside [Europe]. We’ve selected data management partners. We use Google Cloud services, and Google doesn't have services in China, so customers don't have anything to worry about.”

Shu further explained that the brand has also partnered with French operator Orange for its telecoms and connectivity services. He continued: “Even for the shipment and manufacturing data, we are running on SAP, which is a German company and we send emails by Microsoft. We don't use any Chinese platform data platforms to transfer our key data.”

The comments about data privacy come following the influx of Chinese models entering the market, and the decision taken by multiple governments around the world last year to ban Huawei products from 5G connectivity networks citing national security concerns.

The European Commission is currently investigating claims that Chinese EV brands have an unfair advantage over European brands in the form of heavy subsidies. Shu dismissed these claims saying the incentives were given to the end user, not the company. Meanwhile, other car brands generally welcomed the wave of Chinese competition.

Linda Jackson, the boss of Peugeot, said: “I've been in this industry for a very long time. I remember when the Japanese came into the market, we went, oh, the Japanese. Then we did it for the Koreans. Now the Chinese are coming. I see it as a positive challenge.

“Do I stay awake at night because of the Chinese? No, but am I complacent? No way. You've really got to be right now at the top of the game.

“And people forget, it's not just about buying the car, it's all of the aftersales, too. And we've got all of the experience in terms of aftersales, dealer networks, parts supply. Those are as yet untested for China.”