To achieve this level of access and convenience, data and cyber protection will need to be in place at every stage of a car’s design and production. It’s this level of protection that cars such as the 718 and Macan lack.
However, Porsche insists the models are secure. A spokesman said: “Although the processes now required by the new regulation could not be implemented because they were not then known and applicable when, for example, the 718 platform was developed, this does not mean that older Porsche vehicles are not, per se, secure.
“When it comes to current models, we regularly check the cybersecurity of our products and work together with the global security community using a publicly accessible interface.”
The Department for Transport has said that British manufacturers are already beginning to comply with the regulation and that work is under way to explore options for adopting it for new vehicles in the UK. However, it has given no indication when this work will be completed.
Until it is, the SMMT says consumers need not fear EU manufacturers dumping non-compliant models on the UK market. A spokesman said: “The cybersecurity requirements will apply to all vehicles sold in the EU and Northern Ireland, and manufacturers would be highly unlikely to build different versions of those vehicles just for Great Britain, so consumers here are also set to benefit.
“While a very small number of models coming to the end of production may not be upgraded and stocks could theoretically still be sold in Great Britain for a limited time, given that right-hand-drive vehicles comprise only a tiny proportion of the overall EU market, any ‘offloading’ would be extremely improbable.”