UK's Most Stolen EVs Revealed
While Land Rovers traditionally top UK theft charts, electric cars face a different fate. Recent data shows an alarming 8% surge in EV thefts, totaling 132,489 attempts.
FOI requests to the DVLA reveal Kia Niro owners face the highest risk, with 199 reported thefts in 2023—more than double the next targeted vehicle, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, with 96 incidents. This trend signals a concerning rise in EV theft across the UK.
Especially noteworthy is the substantial surge in incidents involving specific models. Take the Ioniq 5, for example, which experienced an astonishing 9,600 per cent spike in incidents compared to the preceding year, escalating from a sole reported incident in 2022 to 96 in 2023.
10 Most Stolen EVs in the United Kingdom
Make/Model | Cars Stolen In 2023 | % Of Total Stolen Cars In 2023 | Cars Stolen In 2022 | % Increase from 2022-2023 |
Kia Niro | 199 | 21.37% | 36 | 453% |
Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 96 | 10.31% | 1 | 9500% |
Kia EV6 | 91 | 9.77% | 0 | N/A |
Nissan Leaf | 88 | 9.45% | 58 | 52% |
Hyundai Kona | 47 | 5.05% | 31 | 52% |
Jaguar I-Pace | 45 | 4.83% | 36 | 25% |
44 | 4.73% | 21 | 110% | |
MG ZS | 17 | 1.83% | 5 | 240% |
MG 5 | 15 | 1.61% | 3 | 400% |
Audi e-tron | 14 | 1.50% | 12 | 17% |
In spite of the Tesla Model Y's immense popularity as last year's best-selling new car globally, along with the Model 3 leading electric vehicle sales in the UK for 2023, Tesla's absence from the top five most stolen EV brands in the UK is unexpected. Nonetheless, the 29 reported Tesla thefts throughout the year emphasize the ongoing necessity for heightened caution.
UK's top five EV brands with the highest incidents of theft
Make | Total Stolen | % Of Stolen EV’s |
290 | 31% | |
187 | 20% | |
91 | 10% | |
45 | 5% | |
39 | 4% |
Experts, reflecting on these findings, stress the significance of implementing advanced security measures and raising public awareness to combat the risk of EV thefts. Given the ongoing growth of the EV market, addressing this troubling trend remains crucial to bolstering consumer confidence and protecting valuable assets.
Source and Images: Motor1 UK