Good news for electric vehicle drivers: According to data recently released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Highway Loss Data Institute, EVs are stolen much less frequently than gas-powered cars.
In particular, the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y had the lowest frequency of claims relative to vehicle population, but all Tesla models, as well as the Nissan Leaf, had much lower frequencies of claims than the industry average. The non-electric vehicles making the least likely to be stolen list were almost exclusively luxury SUVs with four-wheel drive.
Although this is surely welcome news for EV owners, the reason these vehicles are stolen less frequently has yet to be firmly determined.
The Highway Data Loss Institute did offer one credible theory in its report, writing, "Typically, electric vehicles are stolen less frequently than other models. This may be because they are often parked overnight in well-lit and comparatively secure areas for charging."
Green Car Reports also speculated that Tesla's security features, which include side and dashboard cameras, may dissuade attempted car thieves.
Green Car Reports also noted that hybrids, unlike fully electric vehicles, are more likely to be stolen than the average car due to their valuable and easily re-sellable catalytic converters.
The site further noted that, despite being less likely to be stolen, EVs remain the most expensive to insure, primarily due to how expensive they are to repair compared to gas-powered cars and hybrids.
That said, EVs cost about 60 percent less on fuel and are much healthier for the planet than gas-powered cars, producing 60-68% fewer planet-overheating pollution over their lifetimes.
The most stolen vehicles were revealed to be the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Charger Hemi, both gas-powered muscle cars — apparently, a car type that perennially tops the list.
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