SBD have identified several different theft threats to hybrid and electric vehicles and their supporting technology in its latest research, some of which are likely to occur from vehicle launch, whilst others are much more long-term.
Motivation for theft by organised crime gangs relies on the market being there to exploit, whether it is for sale of the raw elements, sale of spare parts on the black market, or sale of vehicles on the second-hand market.
If thieves cannot sell their stolen goods then they will not steal them in the first place. Whilst some opportunities will be open to thieves from vehicle launch, others will take upwards of five years to develop, meaning the picture of hybrid and electric vehicle related theft will continue to develop as time progresses.
According to SBD’s research, a brand new vehicle typically enjoys a period of around a year, when thieves do not target the vehicle as they are still learning the new structures and designs. After this time, thieves have started to perfect new methods and theft of and from the vehicle begin to increase.
With electric and hybrid vehicles, this grace period will be less pronounced as thieves are already aware of many of the weaknesses and target areas, such as the copper charging cables.
Below is a chart depicting the launches of electric and hybrid vehicle launches as well as the milestones that indicate a significant rise in vehicle theft in this sector.