An expert has cautioned that electric vehicle (EV) drivers face potential sabotage threats from China if the country decides to exploit its electric cars for geopolitical purposes. As concerns over the possibility of World War Three and cyberattacks from Beijing rise, scenarios such as cars colliding, doors locking unexpectedly, and drivers becoming trapped inside their vehicles are becoming increasingly worrisome.
And those are the least of your worries.
Imagine Chinese hijackers taking over hundreds or thousands of Chinese cars in the USA and making them drive in groups of pedestrians, for example!
Given new vehicles’ extensive technological capabilities—including built-in WiFi, internet connectivity, cameras, and storage of vast amounts of personal data—Chinese-made cars are seen as highly vulnerable to sabotage. This vulnerability provides Beijing with a potent tool to create disasters in Western democracies.
Cliff Steinhauer, the director of information security and engagement at The National Cybersecurity Alliance, highlighted ongoing research and testing aimed at understanding how external threats could target EVs and their drivers. These efforts have unveiled unsettling possibilities of potential harm posed by such threats.
Steinhauer said: “I have seen research reports of software taking over all of the functionalities of the vehicle, including braking, accelerating, steering and navigation – so the threat exists.”
Last month, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo raised exactly this danger.
She said EV cars “are like smartphones on wheels” and pose a serious national security risk.
Raimondo warned: “Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that could be immediately and simultaneously disabled by somebody in Beijing.”
And keep in mind that we’re talking about fully electric vehicles that are connected to the Internet, made in China, and communicate with potential servers in China.
People have to understand those risks if they’re going to buy a product.
It’s a matter of using technology from a source that you trust or don’t trust, and you should not trust the Chinese government that hates and despises Western democracies as you can see by clicking on the link below.
Following US Commerce Secretary Raimondo’s warning about Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads, Washington has launched an investigation into the security dangers of “foreign-made” vehicles connected to the internet.
