Centre orders blocking of battery management apps used to turn off e-rickshaws

The Union government had issued an order on Friday (July 3, 2026) to block battery management apps after it discovered that some users were able to use them remotely to turn off e-rickshaw batteries even while these vehicles were carrying passengers, an official said.

The apps, mostly developed by Chinese companies, appear to be designed for legitimate battery owners. The developers of three such applications named by a Ministry official, Shenzhen Grenergy Technology, Shenzhen Ruichuang Lineng Technology and Daly BMS, did not respond to questions. Hindu.

It’s unclear whether banning the apps will completely eliminate the vulnerability, as these apps do not require internet access to hijack and shut down battery units without a configured password or PIN. The testing standards for certifying e-rickshaws do not include cybersecurity requirements.

Lithium-ion battery packs include battery management systems to monitor charge, voltage, temperature and cell health. Instagram reels showing this vulnerability on the roads went viral throughout the week, showing rickshaws coming to a halt.

A senior official drew attention Hindu It said that stranding vehicles in this manner was a criminal offense and “normal IPC/BNS criminal mischief sections will apply”.

In Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, police even caught a person who was demanding money from e-rickshaw drivers after using this exploit to disable their vehicles. Elaborating on the modus operandi, Neel Ganga Police Station in-charge Tarun Kuril stated that the ruckus occurred following a targeted extortion incident at Loti Tiraha.

“We received information that an auto-rickshaw driver’s vehicle had stopped at Loti Tiraha and a young man had charged him ₹200 on the pretext of repairing it. On investigation, the driver revealed that e-rickshaws in the city are currently being turned off remotely, especially their batteries are deactivated through a mobile app. Some miscreants are using this app to immobilize the vehicles and then demand money to restart them,” Mr. Kuril said.

(With agency input.)