EV theft: These are the most-commonly stolen electric cars in the UK

The UK’s most commonly stolen electric cars have been revealed by a new study that also identified the country’s EV crime hotspots.

Thankfully, the data from vehicle history specialists HPI, shows that EV thefts are less common than thefts of petrol and diesel cars. But it did reveal that a total of 1,023 electric cars were stolen in 2023.

That represents just 0.1% of all EVs in the country, compared with 0.2% across all fuel types.

The research looked at more than 864,000 electric cars registered in the UK and found that the Kia E-Niro was the most likely to be targeted by thieves. The study recorded the total number of thefts and the number of each model on the road, then weighted the results to find the most commonly taken per 100,000 vehicles.

The study showed that special editions of the E-Niro were the most commonly stolen, with 2,037 per 100,000. It also revealed that across all generations and variants, Kia’s popular small crossover was the most-stolen car overall. Reassuringly, though, total thefts were still fewer than 210.

The second most commonly stolen EV was the Hyundai Ioniq 5. A total of 98 examples of the stylish family SUV were taken in 2023, equivalent to a weighted result of 754 thefts per 100,000 cars.

The sister brands of Kia and Hyundai occupied six of the spots on the top 10 list of commonly stolen EVs. Behind the Ioniq 5 is the closely related Kia EV6 (32 per 100,000), followed by the newer Kia Niro EV (528 per 100k) and the original Hyundai Ioniq hatchback (523 per 100k).

Behind them the Citroen e-Spacetourer people carrier, Volkswagen E-Golf, DS3 Crossback and Jaguar I-Pace completed the top 10.

The new study also identified the UK’s most active regions for car thefts. Perhaps predictably, Greater London saw the most thefts, with 641 recorded in 2023. Outside Greater London, the West Midlands experienced the most EV thefts, with 104. Third was the East of England (59 thefts), ahead of England’s North West (56) and South East (43).

Jon Clay, identification director at HPI, said: “It’s good news that the volume of national EV thefts is less than one per cent of EVs currently on the road as it shows that manufacturers are one step ahead of the thieves and scammers.

“Many EVs offer advanced features like digital keys, embedded cameras with a sentry mode, and sophisticated telematics that connect the car to its owner’s smartphone, making it more difficult for a burglar to obtain entry to an EV.

“However, it’s important not to become complacent, as thieves constantly develop new ways to get around the latest safety features and security innovations. As EVs steadily increase on UK roads, drivers must take the necessary measures to ensure their car is as secure as possible.”