A regional German intelligence chief has warned that internet-connected vehicles, including Tesla models, could expose “sensitive military and government information” to foreign intelligence services, as concerns grow over the security risks posed by data-collecting cars.

Stephan Kramer, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Thuringia in central Germany, made the remarks amid calls by German officials to restrict internet-connected vehicles from parking near sensitive government and military facilities. The German armed forces have already introduced measures limiting their access to sensitive areas of military bases, irrespective of the vehicles’ manufacturers.

“We should not assume that friends do not spy on one another,” Kramer told the Handelsblatt newspaper on Friday. “The same security standards should apply to Tesla and all other manufacturers.”

The restrictions reflect concerns that connected vehicles could collect and transmit sensitive information through their cameras, location-tracking systems, and other sensors.

According to Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), most new vehicles sold in the country have the technical capability to gather information, including location data, camera footage, and sensor readings, and transmit it to manufacturers’ back-end systems.

The BSI has also warned that customers are often unaware of precisely what information their vehicles collect and transmit.

“The cameras and location-tracking systems in [internet-connected] cars capture sensitive information,” Kramer warned.

“At Bundeswehr facilities, that includes information about military installations, operational procedures, and personnel,” he said, describing the restrictions as “strongly advisable and, therefore, proportionate.”

Kramer called for similar security measures in particularly sensitive areas of government buildings, police facilities, intelligence agencies, and other security-related institutions. Such measures could include designated parking zones and restrictions on vehicle access.

He also advised civil servants and other public employees against discussing confidential matters inside internet-connected vehicles.

The concerns have also been raised by members of Germany’s governing parties.

Marc Henrichmann, a lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), warned against underestimating the role of technology in modern espionage.

“We must not be naive: Espionage today is no longer carried out solely by agents, but also through technology that we ourselves bring onto our premises,” Henrichmann told Handelsblatt.

Tesla, an American electric vehicle manufacturer led by Elon Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, operates a major manufacturing facility near Berlin, giving it a significant industrial presence in Germany.

The debate comes amid growing competition in the global automotive industry.

Last month, Tesla reported delivering more vehicles worldwide than Mercedes-Benz’s passenger-car division in the third quarter of 2026. The German automaker has, meanwhile, faced pressure from US import tariffs.