Electric cars not part of conspiracy to limit movement

By: John Faerseth
December 4 2023

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Source: Facebook (Screenshot modified by Logically Facts)

Claim 

A post shared by over 1,000 Facebook users warns against electric cars limiting movement, stating, "They want you to have an electric car so you won't be able to drive out of your smart city. Plus the ability to shut it down remotely & trace all your movements to determine your carbon footprint. That's what going green really means it's code for you being limited & restricted" (archive here).

However, the claim is connected to smart cities and Great Reset conspiracy theories. 

In fact

According to a 2023 report by the American non-profit organization Mozilla Foundation, most modern cars can and do already collect personal data about their drivers. Seventy-six percent of the cars researched also share and sell data to third parties. Fifty-six percent could share information with the government or law enforcement in response to a request. The report does not mention differences between fossil fuel-powered cars and electric vehicles (EVs). 

Several insurance companies have also introduced telematics insurance, which uses GPS and other technology to track how often they drive to give a more accurate price. These are separate from any manufacturer install and cannot be controlled remotely or used to shut down a car, be it a conventional engine or EV. 

A bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021 requires car manufacturers to install equipment in new cars to monitor drivers' behavior and limit motor vehicle operation if the driver is impaired to prevent drink-driving incidents. Again, this is not limited to EVs.

While concerns have been raised that EVs are vulnerable to being manipulated or shut off by hackers, current technology does not allow governments to shut down any car remotely. 

The claim is connected to the smart city conspiracy theory, which assumes the existence of a plot to curtail freedom of movement through technology. The conspiracy theory conflates the existing concept of 15-minute cities with fears of a high-surveillance society. 

The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept based on the idea that every resident should have all necessities (schools, shops, banks, healthcare, and workplace) within 15 minutes of their home, ideally by foot or bike. 

The concept has become a fixture of conspiracy theorists, who conflate it with existing and planned use of technology to make cities run more efficiently, such as apps for residents to contact municipal services or digital electricity networks that use sensors.

While some cities have implemented electronic "traffic filters," these are not physical barriers but simply traffic cameras photographing the license plates of non-compliant drivers who may be subject to a fine. Drivers can still access any part of the city by different routes. The goal is not to limit movement but to prevent traffic jams. Reuters has checked and refuted several claims that this limits freedom of movement. 

Wired writes that "smart city" conspiracy theories first took off in 2020, alongside COVID-19 lockdowns. Campaigners linked to the fossil fuel lobby pushed the idea of a looming "climate lockdown," where governments would bar people from using cars or traveling outside of their assigned districts. According to proponents of the theory, electronic surveillance equipment will be used to ensure that people don't leave their designated residential zone without permission. 

The idea gained momentum after the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched a post-pandemic recovery initiative called "the Great Reset." The idea was to harness technology to create a fairer and more sustainable economy. Conspiracy theorists took this as code for the creation of an authoritarian world government where people would be stripped of fundamental rights and personal property in the name of the environment.

The verdict

While most modern cars collect information about drivers, it is not currently possible for governments to shut them down remotely. The claim is connected to the Great Reset conspiracy theory. Smart cities and the use of technology to make cities run more efficiently, are not about limiting movement. The concept has been conflated with the 15-minute city concept, where all necessities should be locally available, ideally by foot or bike, to reduce carbon footprints and improve quality of life. We have, therefore, rated the claim as false.