Myth:
If you have an EV made in China, the Chinese government can use it to spy on you.
Fact:
There is no evidence that Chinese-made EVs can used for espionage purposes.
The sim card inside the vehicle connects it to the internet, just like a mobile phone or a tablet, so the car is no more vulnerable to being hacked than any other electronic device. That said, if someone has access to the car’s app and the app’s PIN number, then they can do things like lock and unlock the doors and turn on the air conditioning. In certain circumstances, they can also stop the car from being moved. They certainly can’t stop it while being driven.
Of course, all these things can be done with non-Chinese EVs, as well as with many internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. They key thing to note is that security is an issue with any electronic device, not just a Chinese-made EV.
But unlike other electronic devices, the sim inside a car can be removed, rendering the vehicle completely autonomous. The only things that will stop working are the GPA and the entertainment system, and these can easily be replaced with an app like Apple CarPlay, which operates from the driver’s mobile phone. So, a car owner seriously believes that his/her Chinese-made EV is acting as a mobile espionage device, there is a simple way to fix it.
Of course, the other answer is to buy a non-Chinese EV.
The author with his Chinese-made EV.
Sources:
“Chinese electric-car ‘invasion’ prompts security warning – report,” The Drive, 2/9/24
Tom Lowery, “’Could cars just be stopped?’ Why the US government is blocking Chinese cars and why some want Australia to take notice,” ABC News, 24/9/24
Elias Visontay, “How your TV is watching you every second,” Sydney Morning Herald, 10/8/26