Why thieves aren't targeting EVs
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Thieves aren't very interested in electric vehicles.
Why it matters: More than 1 million vehicles were stolen in the U.S. in 2023, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The big picture: EVs are much less likely to be snatched than gas-powered cars, according to experts at the NICB and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's IHS).
- Four of the six least-stolen vehicles are EVs, according to an IIHS analysis of insurance claims.
By the numbers: Overall, 49 of every 100,000 insured cars are stolen each year.
- By contrast, only 1 out of every 100,000 insured Tesla Model 3s was stolen.
- The Model 3 is equipped with a security system called Sentry Mode, which monitors external threats to the vehicle.
What they found: The IIHS analysis ranks vehicles with model years between 2021 and 2023. It looks at the number of "whole vehicle theft" claims as a percentage of the number of such vehicles insured.
- The lowest theft claims come from versions of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the Hyundai Tucson, the Volvo XC90, and the GMC Acadia.
What they're saying: "Even as the volume of EV thefts have increased over time, it is still extremely low in comparison to gas-powered vehicles," NICB public affairs specialist Nicholas Zeitlinger tells Axios in an email.
Between the lines: Experts aren't sure why, but they have theories — namely that EVs are still befuddling the bad guys.
- "The technology in these cars is not as common knowledge," Zeitlinger says. "Most don't use keys but are controlled through a phone or with a keycard."
- Another possibility: "We have hypothesized that these vehicles are often garaged or kept next to a home for charging purposes, which may make them unappealing targets," IIHS spokesperson Joe Young tells Axios in an email.
Zoom in: High-tech vehicles can be more easily tracked remotely.
- GPS systems embedded in modern vehicles — including all EVs — make them easier to find when they go missing.
Reality check: Don't assume thieves are uninterested in your EV. "They are high dollar vehicles," Zeitlinger says, "and have appeal in that respect."
The intrigue: The most stolen vehicle in the IIHS analysis was the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, which was stolen 2,583 times for every 100,000 insured vehicles.
- The next three most stolen were also Dodge models: the Charger SRT Hellcat, the Charger HEMI and the Challenger.
- Also in the top 10 most stolen, the GMC Sierra light-duty and heavy-duty pickup models, and the Chevrolet Camaro.
The bottom line: Thieves find old-fashioned, gas-guzzling muscle cars more enviable than environmentally friendly EVs.
