Autonomous Driving and Cybersecurity China's Electric Car Offensive is Rolling in—is Europe just Watching?

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Between 2020 and 2023, the share of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers in new registrations in the EU surged from two to a remarkable 7.6 percent. This is more than just a market trend—it is a wake-up call. Chinese companies are going full throttle in automated driving, bringing new systems to the road at record speed, leveraging proven operating systems, and benefiting from a strategic alignment between politics, infrastructure, and industry. And Europe?

Europe, on the other hand, is losing valuable time in the global tech race. Why? Because efforts here are often focused on tinkering with proprietary solutions instead of prioritizing speed and scalability. The problem doesn't lie in expertise but in execution: sluggish regulation, fragmented standards, and national solo efforts are slowing down momentum. Yet, these exact standards could be Europe's trump card: they offer security, build trust, and deliver a true promise of quality. The aviation industry sets the example: uncompromising safety through rigorous certification. So why not apply the same approach to autonomous vehicles?

China Steps on the Gas—with Strategy and Billions

The technological sprint of Chinese car manufacturers is no coincidence—it is the result of a well-thought-out master plan. Government authorities enable realistic testing, approve autonomous systems for everyday use, and expand intelligent infrastructure nationwide. Megacities like Wuhan are investing enormous sums in sensor-based road networks, smart parking solutions, and their own chip factories. This turns innovation into everyday life—and prototypes into reality.

To achieve this, China’s manufacturers rely on a clever principle: Why reinvent the wheel? Existing platforms and operating systems are intelligently combined—allowing new features to hit the market in no time. The result: short development cycles, fast rollout, maximum efficiency.

Europe's Ace up its Sleeve: Standardization and Security

Europe stands for high standards in safety, data protection, and system stability – especially in the sensitive interplay of humans, machines, and connected infrastructure. But this advantage is at risk: national parochialism, differing interpretations of European regulations, and a lack of coordination unnecessarily complicate matters for companies.

The key has long been on the table: TISAX and the Vehicle Cyber Security Audit (VCS) built upon it—two established standards that elevate cybersecurity and information protection in vehicle manufacturing to a new level. They even address the specific characteristics of AI-driven systems.

TISAX protects sensitive development environments, prototypes, and personal vehicle data. VCS goes deeper—auditing the entire vehicle development process: from the first line of code to the OTA update. The standard is based on ISO/SAE 21434—addressing the critical points: software architecture, data flows, and infrastructure networking.

For Europe's car manufacturers, this could be an opportunity: instead of developing new individual solutions, TISAX and VCS could become the common foundation—finally delivering what is often missing in international comparison: uniform implementation, rapid scaling, and measurable safety. Both standards align with EU regulations R 155 and R 156—and could thus form the basis of a unified European security architecture. For the industry, this means: less patchwork, more speed, genuine scaling.

Autonomous systems need trust

In the context of automated vehicles, trust is not an abstract concept but an operational necessity. As more safety-critical functions are delegated to AI systems – from lane guidance to emergency braking – the ability to transparently document decisions and reconstruct technical processes at any time becomes increasingly important. This is where modern certification approaches come into play: they not only make safety measures visible but also their methodological derivation and operational implementation.

A central element is traceability – the complete tracking of safety-relevant development and testing steps. Standards like VCS require companies to not only demonstrate functional safety systems but also show how they were developed, which testing processes they underwent, and how they will be maintained and updated throughout the vehicle's lifecycle. Additionally, continuous safety assessments are becoming increasingly important: autonomous vehicles require not just an "initial inspection" but monitoring throughout their entire lifecycle. VCS therefore also incorporates update management, incident response, and supply chain security – the ability to respond to new threat scenarios even after production has started.

What Europe can learn from China: Speed, pragmatism, teamwork

As risky as China's speed may seem, it demonstrates how technological innovation and regulatory design can work together. Whether it's fast approval processes, smart infrastructure, or seamless vehicle connectivity – China thinks of mobility as a holistic system.

What does this mean for Europe? Three areas of action stand out:

• Consolidate standards instead of fragmenting them: Europe needs a clear, unified framework that combines safety, functionality, and interoperability – based on existing certification models.

• Cooperation instead of solo battles: manufacturers, suppliers, software companies, and authorities must work more closely together. Shared responsibility means speed and quality. Cooperation along the value chain must be promoted: manufacturers, suppliers, software companies, and authorities should collaborate more intensively in development and implementation. Shared responsibility leads to greater speed and better quality.

• Regulation as an innovation booster: Security must not be a hindrance – but should be understood as a strategic asset. From development to operation.

Security as a Competitive Advantage in a Dynamic Future Market

Technological development is global—the question is which markets will dominate with which systems. While China focuses on speed, pragmatic implementation, and national coordination, Europe will excel with certified security, legal reliability, and data-ethical transparency—provided these strengths are consistently applied.

Certifications such as TISAX and VCS already provide the foundation for secure and trustworthy systems. Those who align with these standards and view cybersecurity as a strategic task not only meet regulatory requirements but also position themselves as pioneers in an increasingly connected industry. The opportunity to set their own standards is there. Now it's time to seize it. (se)

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*Ingo Unger is a Business Development expert at DQS.

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