Blaze
The complexity and connectivity of electric vehicles make them highly susceptible to outside control.
Pagers and walkie-talkies can be turned into remotely triggered bombs — so why not electric vehicles?
That was my first thought when I read about last month’s coordinated attacks on Hezbollah — believed to have been orchestrated by Israel — in which pagers and walkie-talkies exploded across Lebanon, killing dozens and wounding thousands. more
Plausibly. Based on other “run away” throttle reports just “brick it” in a curve at highway speeds….of course it would also be a kinetic energy weapon at that point. No end of mischief for idle hands…
It’s fair to ask whether a new gas-engine car could have a similar result.
My friend has a manual Ford Escort probably 10-15 years old, and his wife suggested they hang onto it even if they get a newer car – simply because it isn’t full of electronics. Meanwhile I have a new vehicle with all of the bells and whistles. Who knows what random thing could go wrong.
I have had two cars and a motorcycle fail with throttle stuck open.
In all cases I was able to quickly disengage the clutch or pop it in neutral (automatic) and coast to a stop safely.
I have never driven an EV so I have no idea if there is an equivalent thing to do.
Yes, absolutely.
They could also remotely wreck any modern car, EV or ICE, that has lane keeping/autosteering/auto braking capability.
And the government is going to FORCE automakers to install engine kill codes on cars in future model years.
…and Im sure they wont abuse it.
Because government NEVER abuses power. /s
Also, modern cars can be locked/unlocked and started/stopped with an app on your phone, as well as report your cars current location in real time and show everywhere its been.
Theres no reason an app on a hacker’s phone could not be made to do the same.
if they can hack a voting machine, they can hack an electric car
I’ve got an 09 Honda CRV, no extras, no trackers, 128k miles and runs great. Only problem has been a wheel bearing.
It’s like what couldn’t be blown up? Phones, smart TV’s, smart refrigerators, Alexa, you name it.
Again…. Why I drive old junkers.
@anon
I have a mitsubishi ’12. The only thing that is going to kill that car is rust eating it away. After it goes, I buy another used car before trackers were put in. ( I have a great mechanic btw)
Why bother? They blow up on their own.
From the OP: “Pagers and walkie-talkies can be turned into remotely triggered bombs…”
They were manufactured as bombs. Come to think of it, so are EVs.
don’t forget, your phone knows where you are, everywhere you’ve been, and everyone you know… might want a burner phone in your shtf bag.
I hate the commercials showing happy idiots letting their cars drive themselves in traffic. God help us all!
Hmmm, blow up my EV? There are three Power Wheels on the back patio. Maybe I should take the batteries out.
My VW Bug is 55 years old. AM radio, no other electronics.
Hasn’t blown up yet.
A lot of newer vehicles don’t have throttle cables anymore as they are going drive by wire.
Even without nefarious actions a computer glitch could be problematic.
I wish that I still had my red 69 VW beetle, it was the best little car my wife and I ever had. We should’ve kept it after we had kids and used it as my wife’s car. Other than my AWD Subaru’s it was the best snow car ever, it would go anywhere in the winter that other cars couldn’t.
I have a 73 Super Beetle, and the only lost time problem I ever had with it was my fault.
I had placed the outer side of my alternator pulley on 180 degrees out and somehow got the belt to the correct tension. That stayed that way for many years, and one fine day the big tab eventually ate through the small tab locator and snapped the halves of the pulley together. That made the belt tension horribly tight and burned out the alternator, the regulator, and the battery.
Double check stupid shit like that. I have been wrenching a long time, and that was just a stupid mistake.
Could a hacker blow up an EV remotely? We can’t be sure if it’s possible…till it happens.