E-Rickshaw Chinese Apps Ban: Government action on 7 Chinese apps that stop moving e-rickshaws, know whether your vehicle is safe or not?

Technology Desk: The Central Government has started taking action against 7 Chinese Apps that suddenly stopped running E-Rickshaw through Bluetooth in many cities including Delhi. The IT Ministry (MeitY) has ordered to remove these apps from the App Store.

These include apps like BAT-BMS, Smart BMS, Lossigy and Epoch Li-ion. However, these are currently available on some platforms. In recent times, many such videos had surfaced in which miscreants used to switch off the battery of e-rickshaw through Bluetooth. It is a matter of relief that electric cars and e-scooters are safe from this danger.

What is the whole matter?

The government had received complaints that some people were switching off the e-rickshaw’s lithium battery by connecting to it via Bluetooth through the mobile app. The sudden stoppage of a moving vehicle was posing a threat to the safety of the driver and passengers. After this the IT Ministry started the process of removing the related apps.

Which apps were acted upon?

Among the apps which the government has given instructions to remove, mainly

• BAT-BMS
• Smart BMS
• Lossigy
• Epoch Li-ion
• And other related BMS apps.

What is BAT-BMS App?

BAT-BMS is a Battery Management System (BMS) app developed by China’s Shenzhen Grenergy Technology. It is intended to monitor charging, voltage, temperature and battery health of lithium-ion batteries with Bluetooth support. It works like a digital dashboard of the battery.

How were the e-rickshaws stopping while moving?

The Bluetooth connection of the lithium-ion batteries installed in some e-rickshaws was left open without a password or with weak security. In such a situation, any person could connect to the battery through an app like BAT-BMS from a distance of 10 to 15 meters and switch it off in discharge mode.

Are all electric vehicles at risk?

• Which have lithium-ion battery with Bluetooth support.
• Whose BMS does not have password protection or has a very weak password.
• Which vehicles will not be affected?
• E-rickshaws with lead-acid batteries.
• Lithium battery systems with strong passwords and encryption.
• Electric cars and e-scooters, as they have secure encrypted battery management systems.

Were the apps made to stop e-rickshaws?

No. The original purpose of these apps was to monitor and maintain lithium batteries used in solar systems, boats and ships. The discharge on/off feature given in these was for safety and maintenance, but in India it started being misused to stop e-rickshaws.

Who is responsible for this security flaw?

According to experts, local battery assemblers, dealers and low-cost lithium battery manufacturers are responsible. In many batteries the Bluetooth system is left without a password, so anyone can connect easily.

What is the solution to this problem?

Manufacturers and dealers should set strong and unique passwords in the BMS of every battery. E-rickshaw owners who already have such batteries can go to the dealer and get a password lock installed in the BMS.

Important advice for e-rickshaw drivers

• Be sure to check the Bluetooth password of your battery.
• Change the default password like 1234, 0000 immediately.
• Don’t panic if the e-rickshaw suddenly stops while moving. First park the vehicle safely, then turn off the battery main switch (MCB) and then on again.

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