The escalating spy activities and disruptive actions by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the UK have raised concerns within the British government. In response, the UK has begun restricting the use of electric vehicles containing Chinese components at some military bases. Senior officials have recently realized that the movements of electric cars could be tracked, and sensors inside the vehicles may be exploited to gather intelligence and transmit it back to Beijing.
According to reports from The i Paper, workers at the RAF Wyton base in Cambridgeshire have been instructed to park electric vehicles manufactured with Chinese technology at least two miles away from key buildings. RAF Wyton serves as a primary military intelligence center in the UK, hosting officials from the Five Eyes alliance member countries. It is also home to the Pathfinder Building, one of the world’s largest intelligence analysis facilities, where thousands of analysts and officials work around the clock to collect and analyze intelligence from around the world, monitoring enemy threats crucial to the UK’s national security.
For security reasons, the Ministry of Defence has refused to provide a complete list. It is believed that the Salisbury Plain military training area has banned certain electric vehicles from entering. This base is the UK’s largest defense training facility and has been used to train Ukrainian soldiers as well as British armed forces.
Last month, UK Defense Minister Vernon Coaker stated in Parliament that there was no “central unified policy for Chinese-manufactured vehicles,” but specific regulations existed at some bases. Coaker emphasized, “We know that individual defense organizations may have stricter requirements for electric vehicles at certain bases, but for security reasons, we do not provide specific details.”
He added, “Our policies and procedures consider potential threats from all types of vehicles, not just those manufactured in China. We have issued appropriate internal guidance to all drivers and passengers.”
Nearly all major electric vehicle manufacturers, such as Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, and Volkswagen, use Chinese-made parts; while some brands like MG and BYD are entirely manufactured in China.
Former senior British diplomat and security technology consultant Charles Parton cautioned against using Chinese-made cars for government use and advised against vehicles equipped with Chinese cellular communication modules. He warned that conversations inside the car could easily be intercepted if ministers talked in the vehicle.
Last month, senior UK military officials were instructed to refrain from conversations inside electric vehicles due to concerns that the conversation content could be recorded by the car’s built-in microphone and transmitted to the CCP. Under the Chinese National Intelligence Law, Chinese companies are required to “support, assist, and cooperate” with national intelligence work.
However, the UK’s Department for Transport maintains its commitment to achieving the 2027 electric vehicle target. A former senior civil servant responsible for ensuring the security of government facilities suggested that modern electric vehicles are essentially a bunch of sensors on wheels, capable of sending information externally.
Alicia Kearns, the Shadow Security Minister for the Conservative Party, emphasized that the UK cannot sacrifice national security for environmentally friendly technology, urging the government to completely phase out electric vehicles in military and government fleets. She stressed the importance of not relying solely on inadequate measures to safeguard security in the face of CCP espionage risks.
(References: The i Paper, The Telegraph)