New Delhi, July 3: The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered the immediate removal of three battery management applications following widespread complaints that they were being misused to abruptly stop moving e-rickshaws. Government sources confirmed that the action targets specific platforms, including BAT-BMS, Lossigy, and Epoch-i-ion, due to escalating passenger safety vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats. Officials affirmed that any further digital applications discovered enabling similar unauthorized vehicle manipulation will face similar blocking orders.
The administrative action follows a wave of viral social media clips showing individuals using smartphones to wirelessly connect to moving electric three-wheelers and disable them mid-journey. While addressing the safety intervention on the sidelines of a digital security summit, IT Secretary S Krishnan stated, “There are a couple of apps, which came to our notice yesterday and both of them have been taken down from the app stores.” The senior official declared that the central administration will engage directly with major application marketplaces to enforce stricter vetting procedures for potentially damaging software.
Technical assessments revealed that the core issue stems from an authentication loophole in budget energy components. A senior Delhi government official stated that many e-rickshaws are fitted with Chinese-manufactured battery management systems that have minimal security protections, making them vulnerable to misuse. Because these low-cost systems lack standard password verification or initial pairing blocks, any smartphone within a short Bluetooth range can easily establish a connection, manipulate the operational interface, and forcefully turn off the battery power output without the operator’s knowledge or consent.
