After BAT-BMS, claims of stopping e-rickshaws compatible with other apps also came to light. The Delhi government initiated a probe, while experts raised demands for EV battery safety and strict authentication.
BAT-BMS App Viral Video: Cars running on the roads are suddenly stopping, drivers are shocked and scared! At present, such a strange and dangerous game is going on on the streets of the country’s capital Delhi, which has alerted everyone from the security agencies to the government. E-rickshaws (‘Tiri’ in the local language) moving with a single click of the smartphone are being stopped like toys on the middle of the road. To garner views and likes on social media, content creators are playing with the livelihood of innocent and poor drivers. Let us know in detail the complete inside story of this entire digital ‘prank’ and the serious security threat hidden behind it.
Click of a ‘Chinese app’ and the moving vehicle stops: Creepy trend of social media
These days, hair-raising videos on the streets of Delhi are going viral on social media (Instagram, YouTube and X). At the center of this entire controversy is a Chinese smartphone app named BAT-BMS. Actually, influencers and content creators secretly go near e-rickshaws or electric scooters running on the road and break into their battery management system (BMS) through Bluetooth connection. As soon as they go to the app and turn off the ‘discharge switch’, the power supply from the battery is completely cut off. The e-rickshaw carrying the passengers suddenly stops in the middle of the way. The vehicle’s display goes completely black out and the confused driver is unable to turn it on again despite his best efforts.
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Such a big lapse in security? Safes are opening ‘without password’
This incident has exposed the safety standards of the electric vehicle (EV) industry. According to a senior Delhi government official, these connected apps were designed to real-time monitor the voltage, current and temperature of the lithium-ion batteries installed in the e-rickshaw. But, the biggest red flag is that there was no password or authentication protection provided in the control functions of these batteries.
Dangerous Loophole: Without any security layers, any Bluetooth-enabled lithium battery within a limited range can easily connect to this app. The result is that without any fear any outsider is cutting the power output of the vehicle and making it helpless in one fell swoop.
Reality Check: When one road is closed, a thief opens the door!
When this controversy gained momentum, a ground investigation (reality check) was conducted. The things that came to light in this investigation were extremely shocking:
- BAT-BMS App Update: When this Chinese app was tested again on an e-rickshaw, it was found that after the controversy, the company has added an additional layer of security in it. Now the password prompt appears as soon as you tap on the switch-off option. This means that now the vehicle cannot be locked through this app without the password.
- New threat of Epoch Li-ion app: The story did not end here. As soon as the team tried another battery management app called Epoch Li-ion, all the safety claims fell flat. This app made a connection with the same battery without any password and in just one tap, shut down the entire system of the e-rickshaw again. The vehicle did not start until the ‘ON’ command was given again from the same app.
- Insaf Khan, an e-rickshaw dealer from Delhi, said, “In the last four days, 40 to 50 vehicles have come to our workshop with similar complaints. This problem has become very big. As soon as one app becomes secure, another new app comes out.”
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“Kick in the poor stomach”: drivers’ spilled pain
This is not just a fun prank or a technical glitch, but a direct attack on the livelihood of the poorest section of Delhi. E-rickshaw driver Roshan Lal, who was a part of this ground report, expressed his pain while crying. He said: “We had to push the e-rickshaw to reach here. We are poor people; this is our only source of income. If our e-rickshaw stops like this, how will we survive? Thankfully, there were no passengers inside at that time, otherwise they would have refused to pay the fare. Our biggest worry is that our work could stop at any moment.”
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Delhi government’s entry: Transport Minister gave strict instructions
Seeing the seriousness of the matter, Delhi government has also now come into full action mode. Giving an official response to this, Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said that even though no formal written complaint has been received yet, people have directly come to his office and raised this serious issue. The Transport Minister has given strict instructions to the Transport Department to immediately investigate the authenticity of this BAT-BMS app and investigate these claims in detail.
Cyber experts warn: Strict laws necessary for EV sector
Cyber security expert advocate Sakshar Duggal says that this incident is a huge warning for India’s rapidly growing EV ecosystem. He stressed that it has become mandatory to have very strong safety standards and guidelines for the EV sector in the country. If no strict regulation is brought in, then in future this flaw can become a major accident or a source of organized cyber crime. Battery manufacturing companies will now have to make their Bluetooth connectivity completely encrypted and password-protected.