China 'will use electric cars to spy on Britain'

Shanghai auto show. China is expected to become the UK's largest importer of electric vehicles. Credit: Bloomberg

A senior government source told The Telegraph: “If electric vehicles are made in a country like China, how sure can you be that they won’t be a vehicle for gathering information and data? If you have electric cars made by countries that are already using technology for espionage, why shouldn't they do the same here?

“These are high risk products. We know that China always thinks very long. So if they were offering a product that could do more than satisfy the consumer's desire to get from point A to point B, why wouldn't they do it?»

The source added: «It will be used with all the data they collect, and so it becomes incredibly valuable and quite dangerous.»

One minister said they share concerns about remote surveillance and interference. «This is the world we're going into ”, they said.

In 2020, the government banned Chinese firm Huawei from UK 5G networks, setting a deadline to withdraw all of the company's existing equipment by the end of 2027.

Dame Priti Patel, former home secretary, said Chinese surveillance behind cars poses a similar threat. “These are real risks,” she said. “All we have to do is look at how the government has committed itself to things like 5G.”

Concerns have been exacerbated by the rapid penetration of Chinese cars into the UK market.

Speaking to MPs last month, Chris Stark, executive director of the Climate Change Committee, an independent advisory body, said that while Germany is now the largest supplier cars to the UK, «China is fast moving into second place and showing every sign that you are in first place.»

The Telegraph could also report that UK car makers could end up effectively being forced to subsidize cheaper Chinese imports if they don't meet their gasoline engine phase-out targets.

According to zero vehicle emission proposals (ZEV), 22% of companies' new vehicle sales in 2024 will have to be zero-emission models, rising to 80% by 2030.

If manufacturers fail to meet the target, they will either have to pay fines or buy «loans» from companies that exceed the target, with Chinese EV makers and Chinese-made Teslas in particular expected to benefit.

China has half. world electric vehicles

Concerns about the security threat posed by China's potential dominance of the UK car market are likely to fuel calls for an easing of the ZEV's mandate. Kemi Badenoch, business secretary, is understood to have expressed concern to cabinet colleagues about the broader impact of the policy.

British members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international cross-party alliance, have warned that without urgent action, the British automotive the industry is in danger of being «cut to extinction» by China.

In a statement signed by Conservative MPs Sir Ian Duncan Smith, Craig McKinley, Tim Lawton and Bob Seely, as well as Labor Party's Sarah Champion and SNP's Stuart McDonald, the group said the UK was «sleeping away» and becoming «catastrophically reduced ”.

“In 2022, 88 per cent of all passenger-kilometers in the UK will be driven by car,” they said. “It is hard to imagine an infrastructure more essential to everyday life in the UK and it is absolutely wrong to give control of such a key industry to authoritarian Beijing.”

Without action, the group said the UK would be «flooded» with Chinese cars and batteries «with all the associated safety risks.»

They added that the government needed to provide answers on how the UK could achieve net zero emissions without being «totally dependent on China», and «explain what assessment has been made regarding security risks» depending on the country.

Electric car sales in China could reach 90% by 2030.

Remote monitoring of cars is possible thanks to the presence of «cellular modules».

These small components are used in many modern devices, including cars, smart meters, computers, electric vehicle chargers, and home appliances, and are used to establish internet connections to transfer large amounts of environmental data.

Such modules monitor and control vehicle systems by processing software updates to improve vehicle performance.

However, they are also potentially open to espionage and malicious interference.

China dominates the global module supply market, with components from that country also being used in products from non-Chinese companies.

Charles Parton, Sr. a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, said China could use the technology to extract «huge amounts of data» and send commands to cars for «malicious actions.»

Under the government's procurement bill, ministers could bar Chinese companies from accessing sensitive areas, such as providing government vehicles.

However, Mr Parton, a former British diplomat who has specialized in China for 22 years, said cellular modules from the country were still a security risk if left in the cars of British citizens in general.

“Suppose I bought a car with one of these Chinese modules and I was invited to give a talk at a defense establishment,” he said. “If this car has cameras, they can use the modules to turn on the cameras and collect data.

“Ultimately you have to ban any Chinese module in any car, and you have to do it pretty quickly.”< /p>

Mr Lawton said the government should consider going beyond the current 10% tariff on Chinese cars. “We need to think about whether we will introduce controls on the import of these goods,” he said.

More on Net Zero

A government spokesman said: «We will never compromise our national security and continue to strengthen our infrastructure and supply chain resilience to protect the UK's economic security.

«We have invested £2bn sterling in accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, and the grants have been in place for over a decade. to support the transition and support the UK electric vehicle industry.

«We have developed requirements for all car manufacturers to reduce cyber threats in their designs and monitor risks throughout the life of their vehicles — we» are exploring options to make them mandatory for all new cars, vans and trucks in the UK.

«The ZEV mandate is specifically designed to support existing manufacturers as they transition, giving them the flexibility to meet targets over time and avoid having to buy loans from overseas companies» .