CHINA FLOODS UK WITH E-CARS AMID FEARS BEIJING COULD USE THEM TO SPY
Stunning images have revealed how China is flooding Britain with an army of cheap electric cars, with thousands arriving into the UK on a single ship.
The striking pictures come amid fears that Beijing could be using the eco-friendly motors to spy on Brits and act as 'Trojan horses' to gather key intelligence on the UK.
The latest batch of e-cars to sail into the UK docked at the Port of Bristol last week. Almost 4,700 arrived on the colossal cargo vessel, the Wisdom Ace.
City transport bosses touted the record-breaking delivery as the single biggest number of vehicles to be brought into the port in a single shipment. 'This arrival has marked a significant milestone in Bristol Port's automotive history,' a spokesman for Bristol Port declared.
But the shipment comes amid concerns that China could secretly hijack its fleet of exported motors, with security minister Tom Tugendhat last week warning that some e-vehicles could 'be easily turned into mobile intelligence gathering platforms'.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden also revealed that a top-level review is under way into whether hostile states could use e-cars as make-shift surveillance devices.
Britain is not the only one worried about the potential of Beijing to use its exports to gather data on Western countries - concerns have also been raised in America, too.
Only last month, the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, flagged one of the potential dangers behind the new generation of automobile.
'Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that could be immediately and simultaneously disabled by somebody in Beijing,' she said.
China is the world's biggest producer of electric cars and there are fears that its cheaper models could flood US, UK and European roads, with some retailing for as little as £10,000.
Experts fear that some of the sensors used in the vehicles could track people's movements, and covertly send them back to Beijing.
MPs were last month warned about the chilling potential China now had to cause mayhem on Britain's roads, with Beijing potential able to bring motorways to a halt by remotely-stopping Chinese-made electric cars.
The possibility of China remotely controlling electric vehicles (EVs) and stealing drivers' data presents a 'major security threat' that could be exploited if its relationship with the UK badly deteriorated, an expert claimed.
Professor Jim Saker, president of the Motor Industry, told MPs that electric vehicles 'flooding into Britain' could be 'the most effective Trojan Horse' at the Chinese Communist Party's disposal.
Professor Saker made the claims in a report submitted to Parliament's National Security Strategy committee, which examines threats to the UK's economic security.
The expert, who is also director of the Centre for Automotive Management at Loughborough University, warned Chinese-made electric cars could give spies access to 'big data' as well as personal data.
'We know that at the moment connected vehicles can be stopped remotely,' he wrote in a submission reported by The Times.
'If this happened on a motorway at 70mph and the automatic braking system was applied to a vehicle the traffic would simply pile in the back. If this occurred at strategic points it could gridlock cities.
'Chinese-connected EV's flooding the country could be the most effective Trojan horse that the Chinese establishment has to impact the UK.'
China is home to BYD, the world's bestselling manufacturer of electric cars. The firm sold 526,409 EVs in the final quarter of last year, compared with 484,507 for Tesla.
Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove is among those warning of the potential threat they pose, and recently called on the government to consider banning government ministers from using Chinese-made electric vehicles.
Last year former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith claimed Chinese tracking devices had been installed on Rishi Sunak's official car, although Number 10 declined to comment.
Sir Richard warned the issue was 'the next Huawei' - a reference to the Chinese telecoms company that was banned from Britain's 5G network due to concerns it could steal consumer data.
Joe Biden announced in February that he was taking steps against Chinese automakers to prevent them from selling EVs in the US due to security risks.
There are currently 2.4 million EVs registered in the US, but Biden warned if China is allowed to flood the EV market, carmakers could easily track consumer data at a time when cars are constantly connected to our phones and navigation systems.
He equated vehicles to 'smartphones on wheels,' and said his administration is investigating the potential impact on national security with the possibility of a future ban on Chinese vehicles making their way into the American market.
China has made strides in recent years to amp up its EV production, accounting for 69 per cent of all new global EV sales in December alone, and roughly nine million EVs sold last year compared to the US's 1.4 million sold in the nation.
The Chinese Embassy said it would never ask a company or individual to collect data against local laws.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy told MailOnline: 'The popularity of Chinese electric vehicles relies on our technological innovation and superb quality in the midst of global competition.
'Meanwhile, China has abolished all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing and remains open to international car makers who can fully share in the dividends of China’s big market.'
They added: 'Economic globalization is a major trend, protectionism is never a good option, and abuse of trade remedies contravenes international trade rules. Only through mutually-beneficial cooperation can we make the pie bigger; only by transcending zero-sum game can we achieve win-win.
'We hope relevant parties will listen carefully to the rational voice from the industry, earnestly observe WTO rules, respect market economy laws, stop turning economic and trade issues into political, security or ideological issues, and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for the investment and operation of businesses from all countries, including China.'
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