Experts Reveal How Electric Vehicles Are Vulnerable to Hacking, Identify the Methods

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Cyber attacks can target many electric vehicles (EVs). This is because EVs frequently use over-the-air (OTA) technology for software updates, making them easier to hack. This also carries risks for national security.

“Its use raises unique national security concerns,” said Gabriel Lim, senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, quoted by CNBC International on Tuesday (21/7/2026).

Lim cited data privacy as one example of the security problems arising from this vulnerability. There is also the potential for perpetrators, referred to as foreign actors, to take control of an EV while it is moving.

The American Enterprise Institute also warned in May of the importance of increasing protection in the automotive sector. The warning was said to be aimed at limiting the espionage capabilities of foreign governments.

According to the report, the US government was asked to take several preventive measures, including restricting hardware and software made by certain countries.

“To protect against the threat of foreign espionage, the US must consider additional security reviews, impose restrictions on certain foreign-made hardware and software in vehicles, and obligations to increase disclosure of data collection,” the report stated.

A trial in Norway discovered this vulnerability last year. Norwegian bus company Ruter conducted tests on two buses and found that one of them carried a cyber security risk stemming from OTA technology.

Ruter’s findings prompted the United Kingdom and Denmark to launch their own investigations. The Department for Transport said it was looking into the matter and working closely with the local National Cyber Security Centre.

For information, OTA is a wireless technology that delivers software, firmware, repairs, and new data to internet-connected devices.

This technology has increasingly been adopted in a number of electric car models, one of the earliest being the Tesla Model S in 2012.