Car thefts in Germany are on the rise – perpetrators avoid e-cars

Car thefts in Germany are on the rise – perpetrators avoid e-cars and steal combustion engines in particular

In Germany, car thefts increased again in 2023, but electric cars usually remain an exception for perpetrators: The BKA counts 15,924 permanently stolen cars in the "Federal Situation Report on Motor Vehicle Crime 2023", nine percent more than in the previous year. Organized groups bring many vehicles abroad that same night, which is why time pressure is becoming a central risk factor. High-priced vehicles often disappear on order. In the case of e-cars, there is apparently often a lack of customers. As a result, the damage is mainly concentrated on combustion engines.

Investigators describe that gangs mainly take vehicles with combustion engines because they can cover long distances without planning effort. Henning Hauswald, head of the "Soko Kfz" at the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, said literally: "Thieves have no time to drive to the charging station". This is a practical argument, because every additional stop increases the probability of detection.

Tracking systems on EV cars are an issue too apparently.