The military authorities in England have banned Chinese electric cars near military bases in the country. There are fears that the cars are spying.
In England, there are fears of espionage from electric cars from China or with Chinese parts. The military has reportedly banned such cars near militarily 'important points'.
The fear stems from data collection via the cars' many sensors and cameras. The concern applies to both cars from Chinese brands and other electric cars with Chinese technology.
Modern electric cars are becoming more advanced year by year. However, their growing arsenal of sensors also raises growing concerns.
Electric cars are packed with cameras, radar and other technology.
The technology could theoretically be used to collect sensitive data, so British military personnel have reportedly been given discreet instructions to avoid parking electric cars with Chinese parts near military facilities.
Officials have also been advised to avoid sensitive conversations inside cars made in China, citing fears of potential surveillance.
Under Chinese law, the Chinese government has legal access to large amounts of data. This includes data collected by cameras, sensors, and radar in electric cars built in China.
That access has raised concerns among British officials about how the data could be used.
The English are worried about their own safety
The restrictions don't just apply to brands based in China. They include names like BYD, Great Wall Motors, MG, Volvo Cars, and Omoda. They also apply to any electric car that contains Chinese-made components or technology.
According to inside sources at the British media outlet The iPaper , staff at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire have been told to park electric cars with Chinese parts at least two miles (about 3.2 km) away from some buildings.
Similar restrictions are rumoured to be in place at the Salisbury Plain military training area. Although the measures have not been officially announced, they have been hinted at in parliamentary discussions.
According to the Daily Mail, Defence Secretary Lord Coaker has already addressed the issue. They – that is, the British government – will "understand and mitigate any potential threats to national security from vehicles."
Lord Coaker was careful not to single out a specific country.
– Our policies and procedures address the potential threats posed by all types of vehicles, not just those manufactured in China, and we have issued appropriate internal guidance to all drivers and passengers.
– There are no centrally imposed policy restrictions on the movement of Chinese-made vehicles.
Reactions and other criticisms of Chinese electric cars
He also acknowledged that some defense organizations may enforce stricter rules themselves. It depends on the location. However, he added:
– We are not providing specific details for security reasons.
The Ministry of Defense did not confirm or deny the restrictions, instead only commenting on the situation in general.
– Protecting national security is the foundation of everything we do.
"We have strict security procedures in place to ensure all sensitive information is protected."
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns has criticised what she sees as a lack of decisive action in strong terms.
– The defense and the government know the risk of Chinese espionage, but we cannot maintain our security with half-hearted measures.
Kearns has called for a complete shift away from Chinese-made electric cars, including in government and military fleets. Such bans are not new.
China has implemented similar restrictions on Tesla cars in recent years, expanding the restrictions from military personnel to government contractors, local authorities and others.
In that case, the concern was that the US government could potentially access data collected by Tesla.
In Sweden, there are also concerns about espionage. In fact, a professor of cybersecurity is directly warning against Volvo cars. Read more about it here .
Here at home, several parties in the Danish parliament will look into whether to ban Chinese access to public tenders for other reasons. Find that story and many others on Boosted every day.
