In a major relief for e-rickshaw drivers across India, the government has banned two Chinese apps that were allegedly being used to remotely shut down electric rickshaws.
The action was taken after several viral videos raised serious concerns about passenger safety and cybersecurity.
According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) investigated the Chinese battery management apps BAT-BMS
and Epoch Li-ion after prank videos showing e-rickshaws being stopped remotely spread widely on social media. Both apps have now been removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Viral Videos Triggered Security Concerns
The BAT-BMS app came under government scrutiny after videos surfaced showing people connecting to nearby e-rickshaws through Bluetooth and switching off their batteries while the vehicles were moving.
These incidents sparked concerns about the safety of passengers and drivers, as well as the security of battery management systems used in low-cost electric vehicles.
According to information previously available on the Google Play Store, BAT-BMS was developed by Shenzhen Greenergy Technology and was designed to work with Bluetooth-enabled lithium-ion batteries.
How Could Anyone Stop an E-Rickshaw?
The BAT-BMS app allowed users to monitor important battery information such as voltage, current, temperature, charging cycles, and battery health. It also provided an option to enable or disable the battery’s power discharge function.
Experts say that many affordable e-rickshaws and electric two-wheelers sold in India use Chinese battery management systems that often lack proper security measures.
In some cases, these systems either have no password protection or continue to use factory-default credentials.
Because of this security loophole, anyone standing within the Bluetooth range of around 10 to 15 meters could connect to the battery system without the owner’s knowledge and switch it off remotely.
Social Media Pranks Created Panic
This weakness was reportedly exploited by pranksters, who began creating videos of themselves remotely disconnecting e-rickshaw batteries while the vehicles were on the road.
As a result, several e-rickshaws suddenly stopped in the middle of traffic, leaving drivers stranded and raising serious safety concerns.
Following the growing number of viral videos and public concerns, the government launched an investigation
and decided to ban the two Chinese apps to prevent further misuse and improve the safety of electric vehicle users in India.
