Electric Cars: High-Tech Transport or Trojan Horse for Spying?
Electric vehicles (EVs) have been championed as the future of sustainable transport, but beneath the glossy marketing lies a growing concern: are these vehicles opening the door to cyber espionage?
The latest alarm was sounded in the UK, where defence contractors reportedly warned employees not to pair their phones with Chinese-made EVs. According to i newspaper, the fear is that sensitive data could be silently siphoned by foreign actors, especially those linked to the Chinese state.
Data Goldmines on Wheels
“Modern vehicles that have over-the-air update capabilities – crawling with computers, various radios, Lidar sensors and external cameras – could well be repurposed as a surveillance platform,” warned Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Secureworks.
He’s not alone in his concerns. With built-in microphones, cameras, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, today’s electric cars are essentially computers on wheels – and that makes them vulnerable.
RELATED: Tesla Vs BYD: Who Wins?
“A mobile phone connected to the car, whether via a charging cable or Bluetooth, is another source of data,” Pilling added.
That data – from contact lists and location history to app use and messages – could be of immense interest to hostile states, especially if the driver works in government or defence. And with many EVs manufactured in China, the potential for exploitation under Beijing’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which mandates cooperation with Chinese state security, is hard to ignore.
As Prof. Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey bluntly put it: “If a car is capable of spying on you, it may be misused to do so.”
Not Just Paranoia for the Paranoid
“Engineers working on sixth-generation fighter jets should think twice before connecting work phones to personal vehicles,” says Joseph Jarnecki, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. “You could be allowing access to data on your mobile.”
Even day-to-day users aren’t immune. Most people casually sync their phones for music or navigation – unaware they may be leaving sensitive traces in the car’s infotainment system, especially when using hire vehicles. “It’s a bad idea,” Pilling cautions, pointing out that few drivers remember to wipe the system afterwards.
Why Just Target Chinese EVs?
While BYD, XPeng, and other Chinese brands face the harshest scrutiny due to their ties to the Chinese state, experts warn the problem isn’t limited to any one nation.
RELATED: BYD Unveils Fast-Charging System Rivaling Gas Refueling Speed.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence insists there are no national bans on Chinese EVs at sensitive locations, but defence minister Lord Coaker confirmed the government is actively assessing “any potential threats to national security from vehicles.” That includes those made outside China, though it’s telling where the biggest concerns lie.
Hydrogen: A Safer, Smarter Alternative?
This growing anxiety over EV cybersecurity casts a long shadow over their supposedly green credentials. While EVs may reduce tailpipe emissions, they bring with them complex software systems, hidden risks, and foreign dependencies.
RELATED: BYD Overtakes Tesla in Sales as Chinese EV Giant Expands.
There’s a strong case to be made for hydrogen as a better solution. Not only can hydrogen fuel reduce emissions without overhauling the entire vehicle fleet, but it doesn’t rely on data-hungry onboard systems or a constant internet connection to function. Existing combustion engine vehicles can even be adapted to run on hydrogen, avoiding the mass obsolescence that EV adoption may cause.
Conclusion - Time for Hydrogen
The high-tech allure of electric cars is fading fast under the weight of security fears, software failures, and mounting infrastructure costs. Hydrogen, with its promise of clean fuel and fewer technological compromises, deserves far more attention than it’s currently receiving.
As Rafe Pilling noted, electric cars could be "repurposed as a surveillance platform." That risk alone should give governments – and consumers – serious pause. Perhaps it's time we rethink the blind push towards EVs and give hydrogen the support it needs to fuel a cleaner, safer future.
