Teslas being banned in some areas of China because they are a spy threat

By Jo Nova

Sometimes we just need to pay attention to what adversaries are doing.

Why would China be so worried about foreign EV’s near airports and holiday resorts of VIPs?

Winston Sterzel spent 14 years in China and has some of the best insights and connections behind the propaganda wall.


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I am unavoidably distracted by other things for the next two days. Sorry I will not be able to reply to emails or comments. Thanks to the moderators for keeping the ship running.

h/t John Connor, Furiously curious, Kim, and RexAlan

 

 

9.9 out of 10 based on 71 ratings

47 comments to Teslas being banned in some areas of China because they are a spy threat

  • #
    Penguinite

    It smacks of Huawei payback!

    160

  • #
    Peter Fitzroy

    Strange, the Tesla I saw at Chengdu airport last August must not have got the memo.

    Propaganda wall? You mean MSM?

    337

    • #
      Harves

      Geez mate, you really do struggle with simple concepts. The YouTube video is a month old. Nowhere does it say that Teslas have been banned at all airports since before Peter visited last August?

      Like saying, you went to Israel last August and there was no war, so any videos of a war now must be just propaganda.

      501

    • #
      Peter Fitzroy

      not wanting to wake my friends, as China is 3 hours behind me, I waited until now to call them. They just laughed at this proposition.

      Just remember that the Teslas in on chinese roads are Teslas made in China, and yet somehow these vehicles are able to outwit the authorities to the extent that they have to be banned from certain areas.

      next you will be telling me that the fire at Luton was an EV

      219

      • #
        James Murphy

        Local laws in China can be arbitrary and make little sense. Look at laws for motorbikes and scooters, for example…. They can also be enforced selectively.

        Just because you spoke to some people in one part of the country, presumably with the same distorted and blinkered view of the world as you (if you are indeed “friends”) doesn’t rule out the possibility of such rules existing elsewhere.
        On the other hand, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day, and propaganda exists, so there’s a very very slim chance that you are right.

        81

      • #
        Jeremy Poynton

        “next you will be telling me that the fire at Luton was an EV”

        No it wasn’t. But all that was needed for what followed was an EV parked nearby. No single car fire in a multi-storey car park has ever brought one down.

        Try thinking, perhaps?

        110

        • #

          No single car fire in a multi-storey car park has ever brought one down.

          “Single car fire “..?.
          No but if there is no fire suppression system, and the fire spreads to multiple cars,…
          ..anything is possible.
          Like the Liverpool fire in 2017 when very few EVs were on the road

          The source of the fire was given by an eye witness, who described a car parked on the 3rd floor on fire. This is a modern 7 Storey structure built in 2006. The approximate size is 70m by 60m and the frame is made of substantial reinforced concrete. At the time an estimated 1400 cars were inside the structure, the majority were destroyed. The circumstances of this incident are unique. The fire spread remarkably quickly and transformed this into a petrochemical fire, given to the fuel within the fuel tanks of the vehicles. The temperature of the fire was estimated to be over 1500°C – temperatures more than capable of spalling concrete and melting Aluminium. https://www.structural-safety.org/media/426735/scoss-alert-fire-in-multi-storey-car-parks.pdf

          CLIENT CONCERNS AND NEEDS

          A fire of this intensity drew significant concern over the integrity of the structure. Pedestrianised areas ran all around this structure. The Echo Arena Stadium lay approximately 20m away and an apartment block was detached from this structure by only 5m. Public safety was of the highest concern, the consequences of the structure failing were simply not an option to consider. Preliminary surveys conducted by Merseyside Fire and Rescue, Liverpool City Council and the Structural Safety Organisation were carried out at the earliest opportunity.

          Unfortunately these surveys were limited due to the devastation caused by the fire. Although the reinforced frame appeared to be intact and maintained structural integrity, access to the floors was impossible. As seen in figure #1 The floors were simply too dangerous to enter, they had suffered significant damage and several collapses had taken place.

          00

  • #
    David Maddison

    China building in a spy or sabotage capability into all their products and software (including TikTok) is a real concern.

    That’s why the more enlightened governments ban Chinese equipment in telecommunications infrastructure and other infrastructure, as well as certain software.

    Trump banned Chinese grid-scale power transformers, as well as Huawei and similar companies while not making them. See e.g. https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/13/21257675/trump-extends-huawei-ban-may-2021-china-us-android-google-telecom

    Trump tried to ban TikTok. See https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/900019185/trump-signs-executive-order-that-will-effectively-ban-use-of-tiktok-in-the-u-s

    And other software https://www.npr.org/2021/01/06/953783462/trump-orders-ban-on-chinese-software-apps-citing-potential-espionage “Trump Orders Ban On Chinese Software Apps, Citing Potential Espionage”

    Trump banned Chinese grid-scale power transformers and similar equipment: SEE https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-electricity-trump-idUSKBN22D5OD “Trump signs order to protect the U.S. electricity system: Energy Department” (reversed by Biden) https://www.heritage.org/cybersecurity/commentary/could-china-hack-our-electric-grid-joe-biden-just-made-it-easier “https://www.heritage.org/cybersecurity/commentary/could-china-hack-our-electric-grid-joe-biden-just-made-it-easier”

    Also see https://www.wsj.com/articles/pentagon-sees-giant-cargo-cranes-as-possible-chinese-spying-tools-887c4ade “Pentagon Sees Giant Cargo Cranes as Possible Chinese Spying Tools”.

    As we can see however, attempts to reign in China’s spying and undermining of the West is opposed by a vast slave army of useful idiots, including at least one contributor on this blog.

    331

  • #
    Lawrie

    The Chinese would know all about spying on adversaries and stealing technology. No wonder they are suspicious as crooks always believe others are doing what they are already doing.

    291

  • #
    Neville

    I’m sure that most of the video is just plain common sense and yet the useful idiots will do their best to help and protect China.
    And at the same time the loony OECD govts are trying to replace our RELIABLE BASE-LOAD energy with the expensive, TOXIC, UNRELIABLE W & S idiocy. And W & S has a very short life and has to be replaced at about 15 to 20 year intervals and then again and again.
    I’ve made my firm decision to never buy a TOXIC EV and I wouldn’t ever travel to China or Russia or Iran or Nth Korea ( does anyone ?).
    I’ve just bought a cheaper Samsung smart phone and it’s made in Vietnam and I’ll definitely never buy anything made in China again if I can help it.
    My TV is fairly old and I’ve already checked out Samsung prices etc and when the time comes I’ll only purchase a new TV from any other country and definitely not China.

    211

    • #
      aspnaz

      The CCP supported the winners during the Vietnam war, so they are friends and both communist … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Vietnam. To answer your question: I have worked in Russia, I live in China, but not traveled to Iran or North Korea. Your own government is destroying your energy infrastructure; China is doing nothing compared to your own government. It is not China’s fault that you cannot buy a TV made in Australia.

      152

      • #
        yarpos

        your response doesnt really relate to what he said, but rather things you have confected yourself and then defended.

        00

      • #
        Lawrie

        “Your own government is destroying your energy infrastructure; China is doing nothing compared to your own government.” You are correct in that statement. Both our major parties are guilty of destroying our once very reliable and very cheap electricity. Both political parties are guilty of refusing to listen to real scientists like peter Ridd,and the late Bob Carter. Ian Plimer could also give them some facts but still they refuse to listen. They are looking more stupid every day but what is worse is the fact we collectively continue to vote for them.

        20

  • #
    Serge Wright

    The irony here is that all of the Teslas would be made in China using Chinese workers and all of the Tesla IP would have been stolen long ago. The bigger question is why do we bother to continue to do business dealings with China ?. We should shut the door on them and focus on other markets that play fair and that don’t pose gigantic sovereign and security risks.

    171

    • #
      Penguinite

      The fact that The US is reluctant to shed China completely might have something to do with the enormous amount of US $$$ Debt that is being carried by China. Also, the vast array of US Senators and Deep state officials protecting them from harm. It’s the same crew that is pursuing DJT using FBI/CIA Lawfare for non-crimes and misdemeanours.

      211

    • #
      el+gordo

      Australia has to continue business with Beijing or our economy would take a big hit.

      Washington is correct in saying we are not decoupling from China, just waiting for the regime to collapse before resuming cooperation.

      ‘The Five Eyes countries’ intelligence chiefs came together on Tuesday to accuse China of intellectual property theft and using artificial intelligence for hacking and spying against the nations, in a rare joint statement by the allies.

      ‘The officials from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – known as the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network – made the comments following meetings with private companies in the U.S. innovation hub Silicon Valley.’ (Reuters)

      91

    • #

      Serge Wright
      October 19, 2023 at 7:20 am · Reply
      The irony here is that all of the Teslas would be made in China using Chinese workers and all of the Tesla IP would have been stolen long ago

      Maybe that is the point..
      If the Chinese have got all the Tesla IP, they would know if it has snoop/spyware capability imbeded, and hence the ban. .?

      40

  • #
    David Maddison

    Why does the West continue to have dealings with China?

    One reason the West continues to trade with China is the enormous cost of “green” (sic) energy in the West.

    China has no CO2 emissions restrictions therefore has cheap energy as the West used to.

    The CO2 emissions of Western manufacturing have been relocated to China.

    Chinese emissions don’t count even though they are by far the world’s largest CO2 emitter, more than twice as large as the next biggest emitter, the United States.

    But that’s all ok by the Left who love China and hate the West and want to see it destroyed by social, economic, cultural and any other means.

    See:

    List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File%3AWorld_fossil_carbon_dioxide_emissions_six_top_countries_and_confederations.png

    201

    • #
      Lawrie

      I have been saying for at least two decades that we, Australia and the West, are still in the Cold War with communism. They just gave up the bombs and bullets and attacked us by other means, our own populace. What is shameful is that our political elites and our bureaucracies are either ignorant of the danger we are in or complicit. There is a large section of our community that is actively working against us and therefore working for the communists. The MUA and the education unions are at least honest about it unlike the Greens and most of the Labor party. The vote last Saturday should have sent a strong message to conservative politicians that there is a large potential base that wants a better future than the one currently on offer. They would be receptive of nuclear power or even coal if it reduced their power bills.

      20

  • #
    Gee Aye

    Road chaos on Cotter Rd this morning. An EV just stopped blocking a lane (maybe not Tesla but they are a majority here).

    It was reported that they could not push it off the road. Does that sound credible? Are unpowered EVs immobile?

    110

    • #
      David Maddison

      For Tesla:

      https://ts2.space/en/can-you-push-a-tesla-if-the-battery-dies/

      Can you push a Tesla if the battery dies?

      by Marcin Frąckiewicz in Artificial intelligence, Electric Vehicle, Newson 14 October 2023

      When an ICE vehicle runs out of fuel, it can still be pushed or towed since the engine is mechanically disconnected from the wheels. However, in the case of a Tesla or any other EV, the electric motor is directly connected to the wheels, meaning that if the battery is completely drained, the motor will not function, and the wheels will not turn.

      Moreover, pushing a Tesla manually would require overcoming significant resistance due to the vehicle’s weight and the absence of power-assisted steering and brakes. Unlike traditional vehicles, EVs rely on regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy into electrical energy to recharge the battery. Therefore, without power, the brakes would not function as efficiently, making it extremely challenging to push a Tesla.

      It’s worth noting that Tesla vehicles are equipped with a feature called “Tow Mode.” This mode allows the vehicle to be towed by a tow truck or another vehicle, but it does not enable the car to be pushed manually. Tesla recommends contacting their Roadside Assistance service in case of a dead battery, as they have specialized equipment to handle such situations.

      To sum up, pushing a Tesla when the battery is completely drained is not a feasible option due to the direct connection between the electric motor and the wheels. The weight of the vehicle and the absence of power-assisted steering and brakes make it extremely difficult to move the car manually. In such situations, it is advisable to contact Tesla’s Roadside Assistance service for appropriate assistance.

      230

      • #
        Gee Aye

        Seems that a feature that would help everyone is that it becomes immobile when there is charge remaining for, for example, 100m reserved for a “push” mode (my name idea). When stopped it displays a notice, “you have 100m remaining at a max speed of 4kmph”

        80

        • #
          Penguinite

          My advice to all EV owners and would BE’s is stick with ICE for as long as you can! I just hope my dwindling longevity will see me out in my 1999 Holden Calais!

          250

          • #
            Gee Aye

            I admire your tenacity

            50

            • #
              another ian

              Cuba is the model for that with ICE’s

              Plenty of other examples of ICE vehicle minis engine plus shafts and horse

              60

          • #
            Philip

            99. I had a 99 falcon 5 litre xr8 ute, tickford job, for many years. Loved that car and still miss it.

            80

          • #
            Geoff Sherrington

            Or my supercharged 1999 Holden Statesman, engine newly restored, performs most adequately in excellent comfort with leg room for my 6 ft 3 inch frame and larger than normal petrol head. Geoff S

            70

        • #
          tonyb

          Good idea. ICE vehicles have always had a clearly marked ‘reserve’ until recently. Mine was marked in orange. a 100 m emergency mode would seem very useful. We could call it a “gee up”.

          50

        • #
          Raving

          Apparently driving an EV until the main battery is completely dead and then the 12V battery dies too is a nightmare. Not even rechargable, charging ports lock up. Charging computer shuts down. Stuff like that. Might need trailering to a dealership for a hard factory reset.

          There is a major automobile magazine rewiew which describes this predicament (Riven I think. Sorry couldn’t find it)

          On a positive note, EVs do just about everything they can to stop the driver getting into a completely locked up mode. Yes, multiple reserve warnings!

          00

      • #
        yarpos

        So pretty much the same as when your horse dies. You have to get someone in to take it away.

        20

      • #
        Lawrie

        David. A semi with a bull bar would do the trick. You would need a rolled up towel or similar to stop scratching the bull bar.

        10

    • #
      Philip

      Oh yes it does. Saw it long ago on an electric car review and no, you can’t move them when you run out of juice.

      Or at least the one they were in. They were seeing how far you could get and the fear was – as they were limping along in eco mode – if they were even 10 meters from the charging station and it went kaput, it was a problem.

      90

    • #
      Ronin

      It seems Tesla model X, S, Y and 3 can be set to neutral or ‘towing mode’ as long as the auxiliary battery is functioning.
      There are four ways to set N, it’s in the owners manual.

      20

      • #
        skepticynic

        See comment #8.1

        It’s worth noting that Tesla vehicles are equipped with a feature called “Tow Mode.” This mode allows the vehicle to be towed by a tow truck or another vehicle, but it does not enable the car to be pushed manually.

        21

    • #
      Ronin

      Is that near Mt Stromlo.

      20

  • #
    Philip

    I really don’t see the problem with China’s move here. Makes sense to me.

    I’m a free trade guy and I’m more than happy to buy Chinese stuff, but when it comes to something as technology that can be easily used for spying, ban it, sure. We should do the same, and do, to an extent. But neither side should be upset about it.

    55

  • #
    ken

    Slightly of topic but:
    EVs are an extreme risk on board car ferries as demonstrated by several ferry companies in Europe refusing to allow them on board because of the extreme fire risk and the inability to control such fires.
    At the moment The Spirit of Tasmania service across Bass Straight does allow EVs on board. They claim they have suitable fire protection systems in place.
    I don’t know about you but I will not risk a trip on this ferry while that policy is in place!

    110

    • #
      Annie

      I feel the same. We’ve had two visits to Tasmania via the ferry. This year I felt very fidgety about EVs on board, especially as our vehicle was situated in the deep bowels of the ship. I intend to find out from The Spirit of Tasmania whether they will be banning EVs in future; if not, no travel. Or fly/drive.

      50

    • #
      yarpos

      Scratching one more layer and asking them to explain these “suitable fire protection systems” would be interesting

      They seem to be claiming they have solved a problem the rest of the world is wrestling with, especially the shipboard case.

      I suspect management is putting their fingers in their ears and just hoping nothing happens.

      There are some interesting crossings from time to time https://au.news.yahoo.com/victoria-s-extreme-weather-damages-vehicles-onboard-the-spirit-of-tasmania-31518562.html

      10