It’s always useful for insurers to know which cars are proving popular with thieves. Of course to understand true risk you need to set the raw stats aginst the total vehicle parc, then overlay postcodes and workplaces, places where vehicles are left unattended for many hours. Then add driver vehicle history. Only then can you understand the granular risk to offer a quote.
But that said, all data is grist to the mill. It’s interesting to see broad trends. Newly released data below lists the top 10 electric vehicles most frequently targeted by thieves in the United Kingdom in 2023.
Here are the stats;
Conducted by the car leasing company, Leasing Options, the comprehensive study has been compiled with the use of Freedom of Information Requests (FOI) sent to the DVLA, and was prompted by the alarming surge in theft or unauthorised acquisition of motor vehicles, which saw an alarming 8% rise, reaching a staggering 132,489 offences.
The study’s findings pinpoint KIA Niro owners as facing the highest risk of car theft today. In 2023, a staggering 199 instances of KIA Niro theft were documented, surpassing the next most targeted vehicle, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, by more than double, with 96 reported incidents. Notably, the KIA Niro has experienced the most substantial surge in theft since 2022. In the year prior, Niro thefts amounted to a total of 36, marking a fivefold increase within a mere 12-month period.
Speaking of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, in 2022, a solitary Ioniq 5 was reported stolen. However, within the span of a year, this figure soared to 96, which equates to a 95,000% increase. Remarkably, this escalation is even more striking when examining the latter half of 2023. By July of that year, just 13 instances of Ioniq 5 theft were recorded, escalating by a staggering 5,358% to reach a total of 83 by the conclusion of December.
IE NOTE;
There are vaious threads on Reddit and Hyundai owners groups suggesting there is a weakness with the Ioniq 5 (above) Bluelink app system, which effectively controls the remote charging of the car. Kind of baby monitor for people who may be away from the car working, or on holiday, but still want a fully charged car when they return. Bluelink also locks or unlocks the car.
The theory on Reddit is that Bluelink has some type of manufacturer or dealer Admin mode, which unlocks the car and activates systems to say, drive it across a forecourt, put it on a transporter maybe. If that dealer Admin code has been hacked, or a rogue employee has sold the access code login details, then perhaps that explains why gangs are targeting Ioniqs in particular parts of the UK?
All that may be true, or not. We are talking about Reddit here, land of make believe relationship problems and more. IE will keep an eye on this Ioniq 5 theft risk and any recalls or software updates.
Securing the third position in this ranking is another KIA model, the EV6, which fell victim to theft on 91 occasions. The absence of any recorded EV6 thefts in 2022 contrasts with the significant jump witnessed by July 2023, during which only 14 instances were documented. This surge, representing a remarkable 450% increase within a mere six-month period, outlines the alarming trend in electric vehicle thefts.
THEFTS BY MAKE
When examining electric vehicles at a manufacturer level, it comes as little surprise that KIA emerges as the primary target for criminals, particularly evident as they boast two cars within the top three most stolen. In 2023, a total of 290 electric cars from KIA were stolen, with the KIA Niro, significantly contributing to KIA’s lead in stolen EVs, accounting for 69% of all KIA vehicles snatched during the year.
Second, Hyundai registered a concerning tally of 143 electric cars stolen in 2023, a figure that becomes even more alarming to KIA owners, considering it’s less than half of KIA’s stolen vehicles. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, comprises 67% of all Hyundai thefts with 96 stolen overall, with the Kona, Hyundai’s flagship SUV, the next highest at 47 thefts recorded.
Securing the third spot on the list is Nissan, with a total of 91 EVs pinched in 2023. Notably, the LEAF continues to be a prime target, with 88 instances recorded, representing a staggering 97% of all Nissan thefts. Meanwhile, the Ariya and the electric van E-NV200 faced two and one thefts, respectively.
PRESTIGE EV? THEFT RISK IS LOWER
Money talks as they say, which is comfort to wealthier companies or private leaseholders who have invested in a Tesla or BMW battery car. For them the theft risk is lower, according to the Leasing Options data;
Despite the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 clinching the top spots as the best-selling electric vehicles in the UK last year, it comes as a significant surprise that Tesla vehicles failed to secure a position within the top five most stolen EV brands. Remarkably, Tesla ranks eighth overall, trailing behind competitors such as BMW, Audi, and even MG.
In 2023, BMW saw 38 of its vehicles stolen, MG followed closely with 35 vehicles stolen and Audi recorded 32 thefts. In contrast, Tesla recorded a comparatively lower count of 29 thefts throughout the entire year. Specifically, the Model Y accounted for 11 thefts, while the Model 3 witnessed 10 thefts, and the Model S experienced only seven.
ANTI THEFT STRATEGIES
Owners are keeping key fobs inside Faraday pouches, but that isn’t helping much. The old school steering lock is arguably your best bet. If you like tech than maybe fitting tracking tags in hard-to-reach places might alert you if the car is moving. Would the Police actually respond if you reported it? Hmm, maybe. Vehicle theft and burglary are not exactly high priority targets in the UK today.
For insurers and EV leaseholders alike, the outlook is challenging when it comes to app-based vehicle control and theft.
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