Conventional and electric vehicles have both moved swiftly with the times, incorporating sophisticated cybersecurity features, safety systems, built-in collision prevention, lane assist, etc. However, many still wonder, are electric cars more secure? Find out more below and decide for yourself.
Electric, hybrid, and petrol cars all have their benefits and risks when it comes to security and safety. Seemingly, luxury cars and popular everyday models are the go-to target with thieves. Many of these are conventional ICEs, but that doesn’t mean that EV’s go unnoticed with criminals.
Why Are Cars Likely to Be Stolen?
Throughout the years, there have been countless reasons why a car may have been stolen. These range from the costly parts found on the vehicle that may be worth a lot when sold individually, such as the platinum found within catalytic converters, to a means of conducting other crimes, such as thefts or joyrides.
Whilst there are a multitude of ways to reduce the risks of your car being at risk of theft, there is only so much that can be done with a standard ICE vehicle.
Is There a Higher Risk of Theft for Electric Vehicles?
Last year, 0.1% of all-electric vehicles were stolen, compared to 0.2% of conventional cars. Now, this may seem like a close comparison. However, as of August 2024, there were roughly 29.4 million ICEs and only 1.2 million EVs on the road. This works out to roughly 1,200 EVs and 58,000 ICE cars stolen. So, is there a higher risk of theft for electric vehicles? It’s not as high as you may have thought.
Are EVs Harder to Steal?
Whilst car security has improved drastically over the years, some EVs now come with extra hurdles that thieves would need to jump over to successfully pinch your new EV. For example, newer Teslas now come with an optional pin-to-start feature where the user would have to enter a four-digit pin to be able to start the motor and drive.
On top of this, some models also have cameras built in, which typically act as a set of parking cameras, but in some models of EVs can be used as a form of security camera, recording those who come close to the car, acting as a potential deterrent.
Are Electric Cars More Secure?
Yes and no… On the one hand, many more security measures are in place, making it tricky to steal. However, the increasing reliance on technology leaves a whole new threat to be exploited by those who are in the know.
Cybersecurity has become a prominent risk factor for EVs in recent years. For example, public charging facilities require a good amount of private data to be exchanged between the customer charging their car, and the facility providing the charging. This private data, including payment information, can be at risk of being breached by hackers.
Furthermore, the use of keyless entry and start, which is also used in ICE vehicles, leaves the driver at risk of their keycard being cloned by thieves.
How to Protect Your EV From Cybersecurity Issues
- Keep your vehicles software up to date- Manufacturers typically release regular software updates to keep private information as secure as possible. By doing this, you will be reducing the risk of attack on the car itself.
- Do not fall victim to phishing scams – Whilst current trends of phishing attacks don’t take over your car, potential hackers are still interested in getting your personal data from you that they can sell. Making sure you only open email links from companies you can fully trust or identify as legitimate is the best way to reduce the chances of a phishing attack.
- Keep your car key in a Faraday pouch- Modern keyless entry keys have chips in them which allow the car to open when in proximity. However, when hackers can get close to the key, they can clone the signal to allow the car to open for them, even when they do not have the key.
- Increase your password strength- Many modern EVs use online accounts to allow access to charging stations and applications for the vehicles themselves. By increasing the strength of your password (such as adding symbols or increasing character length), you will make it much less likely for any malicious attempts on your account to be successful.
Do Electric Vehicles Have Better Overall Safety?
Over the years, there have been worries about the risk of electrical fires from the large batteries used in EVs. However, the safety measures in place mean the realistic risk is very low. EVs now have very robust casing to ensure that the batteries are protected in the event of an accident, making them as safe as an ICE vehicle for fire risk.
Furthermore, the technology in EVs tend to be up to date for safety innovations. For example, the Volvo EX90 utilises LIDAR and AI to reduce the risk of collisions on the road. Combining this with modern alertness features means that a lot of EVs are becoming safer every year.
To summarise, EVs are more secure and safe to drive than your conventional ICE vehicle. However, there are many factors to take into account when picking a car, and whilst EVs may have a few compromises in terms of time to fuel, price, and range concerns, they do excel in the safety and security factors. Want to make your car feel more secure? Contact Motorguard for the best security features for your car.