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Some of the UK’s safest military sites have restricted access to electric vehicles, which poses concerns that Chinese technology embedded in vehicles can be used for spying.
According to Department of Defense officials, staff at RAF Wyton, an air force base in Cambridgeshire, responsible for the intelligence reporting business, are told to avoid parking EVs near the base if vehicle sensors can be monitored remotely.
The site is one of several where access to vehicles is restricted, but the department refused to provide a full list for security reasons.
Last month, Defense Minister Vernon Coker told Congress there is no “central mandatory policy regarding the movement of China’s manufactured vehicles,” but some sites have certain rules.
“Individual defense organizations recognize that they may have more stringent requirements related to electric vehicles on some sites, but have not provided specific details for security reasons,” he said in the writing.
“Our policies and procedures take into account potential threats from all kinds of vehicles, not just those manufactured in China, and have issued appropriate internal orientations for all drivers and passengers,” he added.
Virtually every EV contains Chinese parts, but some are due to Chinese battery technology and sensor leads. There are concerns that it could leverage all the battery management units, onboard diagnostics, or sensors used to assist in driving to collect sensitive data and enable remote surveillance.
The Ministry of Defense rejected an overview of which sites were affected.
“Protecting national security is the foundation of everything we do,” it said. “Tight security procedures are in place to ensure that all confidential information is protected.”
The restrictions are consistent with broader Western concerns about Chinese technology that are spreading across critical infrastructure.
Intelligence Agency warns that certain Chinese-made systems can be used to collect telemetry, location data, and even audio recordings.
The UK previously vowed to remove equipment from government buildings from telecommunications company Huawei and exclude it from next-generation 5G internet networks across the country.
Concerns about modern cars used in espionage have been raised for some time. In 2021, China banned Tesla vehicles equipped with multiple cameras, but was able to enter military facilities over concerns that they could use sensors to collect intelligence.
The Financial Times reported earlier this year that the Department of Defense security manual was recently updated with guidelines that military personnel must avoid conversations about a policy that “applies to all vehicles, regardless of type or place of origin” that is closer to delicate subjects of vehicles and smart technology.
A UK official said, “We are working across the government on the potential impact of connected vehicles.”
