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

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

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]


Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

Comments
Join the conversation
5 of 16 comments
Next