I live in a bad neighborhood in NJ, close to Camden, lots of Kias and Hyundais got stolen or broken into during the height of the Tiktok challenge so I don’t feel safe getting EV6 or ionic 5, there are some Teslas but like 2 out of 100 cars. I just want a EV that looks like a regular car and not eye catching. I have a Chevy Cruze now so I don’t want to get any more Chevy because it was such a unreliable car. Anyone that lives in bad neighborhoods with EV and what’s your experience has been like with safety?
someone plesse create r/ElevtricVehiclesAmericanIssues 💀
Not vandalized, have a camera right above where I park it. Have had issues with people trying to get into the cars to steal stuff.
I’ve been parking my Bolt at Ferry Ave without an issue, but it’s only been 3 months. Other cars I’ve parked there have been relatively safe too (aside from hit and runs)
Hello PATCO passenger lol. I think the ferry Ave station is crowded and active enough to be safe, and Bolt looks mostly like a regular car and isnt too attention grabbing, stay safe!
If anything, thieves are less likely to mess with an EV because there’s no catalytic converter to steal.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they looked anyway, and caused damage in the looking. Years ago when I had a Jeep they cut open the canopy to steal a bottle of wine. The soft top, that you can unzip to open.
My friend has a POS 80s truck. He never locks it and the keys are in a cubby hole right beside the ignition. Thieving morons broke a window to get in and tried to hot wire it. These are not smart people.
I think you’re safe getting an EV6 or Ionic5 if you want to fly under the radar.
I haven’t had any problems with vandalism in over 10 years of driving an EV. At least Teslas have sentry mode.
If you want something cheap, low-key and inexpensive there is the Leaf, but I can’t recommend it as Chademo charging is obsolete.
I think what’s more important is if you have a reliable place to charge nightly/consistently, if not I’d probably not bother with EVs until that changes.
Probably want to get out of the area before buying a new car…
A Tesla is literally impossible to steal.
Yes, I live in South Sacramento, where it is generally accepted as “Southside Iraq”, such that areas with EVs will be targeted for vandalism and theft, because it is generally understood these people have more money/items to steal. The only surefire way I’ve seen deterrence work is if they also live in gated communities as well.
Maybe you need a used cheap car no one would want to steal. Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt.
I drove a Hyundai Kona EV before upgrading to an Ioniq 5. The Kona has an ICE version so it looks pretty unassuming unless it indicates it’s an electric model on the trunk.
If you want a regular-looking car that’s an EV, how about a Hyundai Kona? My 2021 is a hoot to drive but it looks like the gas-powered one. It has good range and it’s affordable.
I suggest a Nissan Leaf and take off as many badges as you can. They are cheap and plentiful. I removed all of the badges on mine. No one thinks Nissan is a high dollar car and it doesn’t have a catalytic converter to steal.
Because of all of the additional things we do with the car, charging and apps to charge etc, vandalism/theft of EVs is relatively low. If anything, keep the charge cable locked somehow because depending on the EV, locking the car doesn’t lock the plug to the port.