Automotive theft within the US has been steadily on the rise for the previous 5 years and has reached report ranges, with over a million autos reported stolen in 2023. Nevertheless, electrical vehicles have all the time been among the many least stolen autos, displaying that thieves have little curiosity in stealing them. Here is why driving an EV may allow you to keep off thieves’ radar.
In keeping with Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau statistics, automobile theft charges have risen steadily since 2019. Over a million autos have been stolen nationwide in 2023, about 1% greater than a 12 months earlier than. California is the state with essentially the most stolen vehicles (about 209,000 final 12 months), though the District of Columbia leads the way in which in thefts per 100,000 folks.
Why are thieves stealing vehicles?
There are a lot of explanation why criminals goal folks’s vehicles, however they finally fall into the low-risk, high-reward mantra. Every little thing that may be stolen rapidly shall be stolen, and this contains the entire automotive. In a automobile, there are numerous issues of worth that may be taken away rapidly. From purses and laptops left contained in the automotive to catalytic converters being minimize off and bought for the dear metals inside, thieves have many causes to focus on your automobile.
Though having your automotive damaged into is disagreeable, you may a minimum of use it after changing the damaged home windows or locks. Nevertheless, if it is stolen, you are left with nothing. Normally, you will by no means see your automotive once more. It is going to be bought abroad if it has any worth or stripped for elements if there’s little curiosity in it within the vacation spot markets. In some instances, it is perhaps used to commit different crimes, by which case you may nonetheless discover your automobile. Nevertheless, it is perhaps broken or burnt to cowl the tracks.
Picture: Google Inventive Commons (Honest Use)
In recent times, we have seen a brand new motive for stealing vehicles rising: for enjoyable. When folks found how simple to steal some Kia and Hyundai autos had been, stealing them turned a favourite exercise for bored teenagers. That is how Kia Boyz and Kia Problem appeared, fueled by the Korean carmakers’ determination to take away engine immobilizers from their fashions bought within the US. For that reason, Kia and Hyundai fashions are nonetheless among the many most stolen vehicles within the US.
Know-how has grow to be an enabler slightly than a deterrent
Surprisingly, expertise hasn’t made vehicles harder to steal, quite the opposite. With keyless entry methods, expert criminals can drive off along with your automobile within the blink of an eye fixed. The tools required to relay the important thing fob sign to the automotive within the driveway is affordable and available, explaining why this has grow to be the popular theft technique.
Carmakers have additionally been lazy in making their autos harder to steal. Many trendy vehicles nonetheless do not have an encrypted community structure. This makes it simple for criminals to hook up their hacking gadgets to the automobile’s CAN bus by eradicating a headlight, as an example, and acquire full entry to the automotive’s methods. From there, they will do no matter they need, together with unlocking the automotive and beginning the engine.
Electrical autos persistently rank among the many least stolen vehicles
Regardless of rising theft charges and vehicles changing into simpler to steal, there’s one stunning development. Electrical autos have persistently ranked among the many least stolen vehicles within the US. In a Freeway Loss Information Institute report, the 2021-23 Tesla Mannequin 3, as an example, recorded just one theft per 100,000 insured autos. This compares to 227 thefts per 100,000 insured autos for the GMC Sierra and 96 for the Chevrolet Silverado. Total, 49 of each 100,000 insured vehicles are stolen every year.
Picture: Axios
This made folks marvel why electrical autos aren’t extra engaging to thieves. In spite of everything, most of them are costlier than the typical combustion automotive, or a minimum of most individuals cite this as a motive for not contemplating shopping for an electrical automobile within the first place. They certainly have some worth for thieves, however someway, they’re persistently prevented.
Though EV critics may say that not even thieves are interested by electrical autos, there are logical arguments as to why EVs are a lot much less more likely to be stolen in comparison with gas-powered vehicles. Listed below are 5 of the obvious explanation why thieves shun electrical autos.
1. EVs are surveillance methods on wheels, with cameras recording all the pieces round them
Tesla developed the Mannequin S from the bottom up as a software-defined automobile. This contrasts with different carmakers, that are principally targeted on mechanical elements, and software program solely comes as an afterthought. The distinction is necessary: whereas Tesla EVs have been praised for having essentially the most superior software program within the automotive business, legacy carmakers usually wrestle on this space.
Picture: @6ixbuzztv by way of X
There’s one other necessary distinction: in contrast to different automakers, Tesla makes its personal digital elements. This shielded it from the availability chain catastrophe of 2021-22 but additionally allowed extra flexibility in providing new options with out ready for third-party suppliers to catch up. Controlling {hardware} and software program offers necessary advantages, most seen at Tesla and Rivian, an EV startup that adopted an identical technique because the EV market chief.
Electrical autos usually make use of a variety of sensors required for driver help methods. These embrace cameras, which Tesla additionally makes use of as surveillance cameras. Its Sentry Mode function permits vehicles to report their environment, turning any Tesla right into a surveillance system on wheels. Different carmakers have regularly copied this function, though the rollout has been slightly sluggish.
Though not everybody is aware of, messing round with a Tesla is a mistake as a result of the proprietor will all the time have video proof of prison exercise. Nevertheless, skilled automotive thieves know this, and that is one of many explanation why they keep away from Tesla and different electrical vehicles. A system like Tesla’s Sentry Mode or Rivian’s Gear Guard is extremely useful in holding thieves away. It could additionally allow you to determine them if one thing dangerous occurs.
2. EVs are normally protected by superior software program that’s tough to entry and crack
Since EVs have such superior software program, carmakers have extremely expert safety professionals on their payroll to find and plug safety holes. No informatic system is totally proof against hacking, but when breaching the system is simply too tough or time-consuming, hackers are much less inclined to even take it into consideration. Thieves want autos which can be simple to entry and steal, and there are many them on the streets.
Tesla has been teaming up with the white hacker group, sponsoring hacking contests in a bid to search out if there’s any vulnerability of their methods. This resulted in an nearly air-tight safety that’s tough to compromise, making Tesla EVs a troublesome goal. This has introduced Tesla a fame within the thief group, so to talk, which prolonged to different EV manufacturers.
Picture: West Yorkshire Police / YouTube Screenshot
Nevertheless, this does not exclude the likelihood that thieves uncover new vulnerabilities to entry electrical autos. Hacking has all the time been a recreation of steady escalation, with carmakers attempting to shut vulnerabilities as quickly as they’re found. In a current instance, hackers behind the so-called “Recreation Boy” key emulators have launched an replace that makes accessing quantity fashions a breeze.
Among the many vehicles that may be stolen utilizing this car-key emulator are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and different Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis EVs. The Recreation Boy system can trick a automobile into considering it’s a reputable key fob. Speaking with the automotive and unlocking it takes seconds. These gadgets are costly, which explains why they have not been in style. Nevertheless, as they acquire help for extra helpful electrical autos, it is anticipated that the variety of EV thefts will enhance.
3. EVs are repeatedly reporting their GPS place, and deactivating their transponders will not be trivial
In addition to having eyes to see what’s taking place round them, electrical autos are all the time linked to the web. They’re additionally outfitted with GPS modules, permitting homeowners to know their exact location. Even when the automotive is stolen, it won’t take lengthy earlier than the proprietor or the producer can find and immobilize it. This expertise makes it extra more likely to recuperate a stolen EV than different automobile sorts.
Picture: @ppbeast by way of X
After all, GPS trackers and LTE communication gadgets could be disabled to forestall homeowners and carmakers from accessing the automobile. That is precisely what police found after they busted a Tesla theft ring in Oregon a 12 months in the past. To make the vehicles tougher to find, thieves disabled the GPS monitoring gadgets embedded within the autos. They’ll additionally attempt to jam the sign, though this technique has confirmed much less dependable.
Inadvertently, Tesla could have made the thieves’ work simpler with the Mannequin 3 redesign and the Cybertruck. As a substitute of integrating the communications module on the infotainment system’s PCB, Tesla launched a separate Telematics Management Unit (TCU). That is built-in into the headliner, making it less complicated for thieves to entry and disable it. The TCU module is linked to the principle pc by way of a Gigabit Ethernet (Broadreach) connection, which could be severed to forestall communications with Tesla servers.
After all, there are different measures carmakers can take to forestall unauthorized use of a stolen EV. As an example, they will blacklist stolen autos, stopping them from accessing public chargers. That is another excuse why thieves keep away from electrical autos. Whereas most gas-powered vehicles could be pushed by anybody wherever, EVs normally depend on a server connection to perform correctly. As soon as this connection is blocked, they aren’t very helpful.
4. Lack of EV charging infrastructure in vacation spot markets for stolen vehicles
Excessive-value autos are stolen to be bought on different markets, normally in Africa or the Center East. As soon as they’re smuggled overseas, it is nearly unattainable to trace and discover them. This explains why essentially the most stolen autos are massive SUVs and full-size pickup vans. Additionally, “prospects” of stolen vehicles are much less more likely to admire EVs.
Crucial motive is the dearth of charging infrastructure in these nations. I am not saying it is unattainable to drive an EV there; it is simply not value shopping for a stolen automobile. Since these are normally stolen “to order,” it is extremely unlikely some shady army chief in an African nation positioned an order for a stolen Tesla Mannequin Y. A Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, coincidentally essentially the most stolen automobile of any sort in 2023, is one other matter.
Nevertheless, issues may change with the Tesla Cybertruck. Even totalitarian leaders like Chechnya’s Ramzan Kadyrov have bragged about having a Cybertruck. Tesla’s electrical pickup truck has been in excessive demand from celebrities and warlords worldwide. I can see fairly a number of of them fancying stolen Cybertrucks.
Picture: bayraktar_1love on Twitter (X)
This does not imply the truck will leap to the leaderboard of most stolen autos in a single day. Tesla nonetheless has methods to mitigate theft, as we have already seen. Ramzan Kadyrov complained that Elon Musk reportedly disabled his Cybertruck as quickly because the story made the rounds on social media.
5. Components are onerous to promote as a result of the EV fleet is small, and most of the people nonetheless use the carmaker’s gross sales channel
As I defined above, a few of these stolen autos have extra probabilities of being stripped to items, with the elements bought on the gray market. Nevertheless, with electrical vehicles, carmakers can observe precisely which half goes to which automobile, which Apple additionally does with alternative elements for its iPhones. Even for those who purchase a used unique half, it isn’t assured to work on one other automobile with out the carmaker configuring it.
After all, this works for elements that use digital markers, which leaves us with mechanical elements that may nonetheless be bought in the marketplace. Nevertheless, demand for these elements is probably going non-existent. One motive is the comparatively small fleet of electrical autos. Solely two EV fashions have bought in important numbers: the Tesla Mannequin Y and Tesla Mannequin 3. Nevertheless, homeowners of those autos are unlikely to be interested by shopping for used elements.
Most of these vehicles are nonetheless below guarantee, with the best-selling Mannequin Y having been launched in 2020. Older autos are nonetheless few and purchased principally by Tesla die-hard followers. This leaves a really restricted quantity of people that would purchase used elements for his or her EVs. With such low demand, there isn’t any marketplace for these elements, which is why electrical autos are principally secure.
