China’s EV giants are colliding with Israel’s security concerns As Chinese electric vehicles dominate the market, Israel is debating how much trust connected cars deserve. Last week, a significant controversy erupted in China. According to a report by the state-run China Media Group news agency, BYD owners who performed OTA software updates discovered that their vehicles had undergone what drivers described as a “battery lock.” The result: while BYD marketed the vehicles as capable of traveling 500 kilometers according to the European WLTP standard, after the update some owners reported an actual driving range closer to 300 kilometers. In effect, a remote software update had materially reduced the vehicles’ capabilities. OTA updates, short for Over The Air, allow automakers to remotely update vehicle software. Modern car owners are already familiar with the process: drivers receive a notification on the vehicle’s screen, much like on a smartphone, informing them of a pending system update. The owner approves the installation, and in some cases approval is not even required, and after a few hours the vehicle’s software changes. Menus may be reorganized, cybersecurity systems upgraded, or driving functions adjusted. These changes are generally limited to software and cannot repair physical faults such as a broken air-conditioning vent or steering-wheel alignment. But in the world of electric propulsion, whether in plug-in hybrids or fully electric vehicles, software control is extremely powerful. The fact that OTA updates can directly affect a vehicle’s electric driving range is especially significant. In a gasoline-powered vehicle, range is determined by the size of the fuel tank, which cannot be changed remotely. In contrast, battery charging limits and energy-management systems can be altered through software updates delivered over the air. Remote software updates and the possibility that vehicles may transmit sensitive data are not new concerns. The IDF already