Referreport
Who a Electric car is less likely to be affected by car theft than drivers of combustion engines. This is the conclusion reached by the non-profit US organizations National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) after investigations into reported car thefts, such as the portal “Axios” reports. But why are the generally high-priced electric cars less popular with car thieves than combustion engines? There are several theories about this.
Thieves avoid electric cars – especially Teslas
The IIHS has in one Investigation All reported thefts of insured vehicles from model years 2021 to 2023 in the USA were evaluated. According to this, an average of 49 out of 100,000 vehicles were stolen each year – most rarely several electric models. According to the IIHS, vehicles from the US manufacturer Tesla are particularly avoided by vehicle thieves. They account for four of the 20 least stolen vehicle models. Another eight models were plug-in hybrids and hybrids.
This is why electric cars are less attractive
The NICB has several theories as to why electric vehicles rarely fall victim to vehicle thieves despite their high price. One possible reason is the technology of the vehicles, which are often smartly equipped. A spokesman for the NICB tells Axios that the technology behind these vehicles is still unknown to many. For example, most of these vehicles could not be unlocked using traditional keys but rather using a smartphone or a key card. Built-in GPS systems could also deter car thieves. This would allow the vehicle to be quickly located if it were stolen. In the case of Tesla models, the so-called guard mode could also keep thieves away. This records the vehicle’s surroundings using cameras as soon as a person approaches the vehicle. Ultimately, according to the NICB, the reason could also be more banal: Many electric cars are often parked in garages or in the immediate vicinity of houses to charge. According to the NICB, this fact is also likely to reduce the attractiveness of electric cars for car thieves.
Internet trend causes thefts to explode
The highest theft rates in the USA were recorded in 2023 NICB By the way, models from Kia and Hyundai – and probably for a strange reason. The NICB assumes that a viral theft challenge around modern vehicle manufacturers played a crucial role in the increased theft rates. As part of this online challenge, numerous videos circulated on social media showing how certain Kia and Hyundai models could be short-circuited using a USB cable.
Source: German