You Should Probably Charge Your EV Before Using It As a Robbery Getaway Car

I’m guilty of complaining about EV charging infrastructure, but I’ve never been in a situation where charging times or lack of access ruined my day. That’s the exact opposite of the experience two thieves recently had in Georgia, as their stop to charge their Tesla Model X was their undoing. 

A little planning ahead might have saved the two suspects, who stole some gaming systems and other gear from a Sam’s Club. Police images also show several electronic toothbrushes, some guns, and several bags packed with marijuana. They stopped to charge less than ten miles away from the store, giving police enough time to track them down using descriptions of the vehicle from the scene.

Electric vehicles may make police chases a thing of the past, or much shorter, at least. Even so, most new gas vehicles have advanced connectivity and internet features, making it easy for law enforcement to track them with the proper warrants and permissions. 

Tesla and many other automakers also equip vehicles with extensive camera and sensor arrays, some of which enable advanced theft prevention systems. Sentry Mode has captured would-be Tesla burglars on camera several times, and there have been stories of owners tracking or remotely locking their cars from their smartphone apps.

[Image: Gwinnett County Police via Twitter]

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