Now moving e-rickshaw will not stop due to Bluetooth! Government bans Chinese apps BAT-BMS and Epoch Li-ion

New Delhi: Relief news has emerged for e-rickshaw drivers across the country. For some time, such videos were becoming increasingly viral on social media, in which some people used to remotely stop the moving e-rickshaw with the help of mobile app. Because of this, drivers had to face problems on the middle of the road and questions were also raised regarding the safety of passengers. Now, taking action in this matter, the Central Government has banned two Chinese apps.

According to a report, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has decided to remove two Chinese battery management apps BAT-BMS and Epoch Li-ion from India after investigation. At an event of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held on July 3, Ministry Secretary S. Krishnan said that both these apps have been removed from the App Store and Google Play Store. The government has taken this step in view of security concerns.

Investigation started after viral video

The investigation into these apps started when several videos went viral on social media. In the video, some people were seen connecting to the e-rickshaws parked nearby through Bluetooth and switching off the power supply of their batteries. Due to this, moving e-rickshaws used to stop suddenly, creating a risk for both the driver and the passengers. After these incidents, the government took the whole matter seriously.

What did the BAT-BMS app do?

According to available information, BAT-BMS app was developed by Chinese company **Shenzhen Genergy Technology** for the management of Bluetooth based lithium-ion batteries. This app showed many information related to the battery, such as voltage, current, temperature, charging cycle and battery status. Along with this, there was also an option to turn on or off the battery discharge system.

How was the technical flaw taken advantage of?

According to experts, Chinese battery management systems are installed in many low-cost e-rickshaws and electric two-wheelers used in India. It is said that many of these systems work without adequate security arrangements. In many cases, there is no password protection or the default login given by the factory continues to be used. In such a situation, if a person is present within the Bluetooth range of about 10 to 15 meters, he can connect to the battery and control it without the permission of the vehicle owner.

Taking advantage of this technical weakness, some people started making so-called prank videos on social media. In the video, the battery of the e-rickshaw was remotely disconnected while moving, causing the vehicle to stop suddenly. Due to this, drivers used to get stuck in the middle of the road and many times passengers also had to face problems. Experts believe that such incidents can pose a serious threat to road safety.