EV Security

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Discussion

bad company

Original Poster:

19,338 posts

271 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
I’m looking at changing from my petrol BMW to Mustang Mach-e. Apparently the Ghost immobiliser won’t work properly with the Ford so what if anything is everyone using?

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
They have an immobiliser and tracker as standard don't they?


bad company

Original Poster:

19,338 posts

271 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
I read this on another forum, not sure it it’s right?

Theft will be practically impossible, cybersecurity and CAN message encryption was a big part of of FNV2 architecture vehicles. Also I don't think the OB2 is easily accessible (if it all) and the vehicle can be easily tracked down with gps worst case.

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Monday 26th June 2023
quotequote all
bad company said:
I read this on another forum, not sure it it’s right?

Theft will be practically impossible, cybersecurity and CAN message encryption was a big part of of FNV2 architecture vehicles. Also I don't think the OB2 is easily accessible (if it all) and the vehicle can be easily tracked down with gps worst case.
I'm not so well read up on the Mach e range, but it sounds like they're doing the same things as Tesla and several other EV manufacturers have done. Tesla's have proven almost impossible to steal and every one that has been 'borrowed' was located very quickly and recovered.

For one thing the cars are connected devices, able to report to their owner or manufacturer where they are at any time, for another they can be tracked solely via GPS even without a data connection. that's how it is with Tesla's and my Jag - I'd assume since the ford came out afterwards they would have copied a system that basically has a perfect success rate.

You'd have to dismantle a significant portion of the car to strip it all out, at which point the car is worthless and probably immobilised anyway.

None of this stuff is exclusive to EV anymore, but certainly most common in EV's and developed in EV's due to them mostly using dedicated platforms which of course were designed with the latest tech in mind - and a big part of modern car tech is permanent connectivity.

Suggest you give ford UK a call to double check how secure the car is - but I think it's very likely you won't be needing the ghost anymore...


Krikkit

26,909 posts

186 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.

ingenieur

4,168 posts

186 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
How difficult would it be to jam the GPS signal and stop the tracker working?

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.
True, no system is flawless - but some are robust enough for the time/effort required to not warrant the theft of the car in the first place. Also, as ever, thieves tend to like the easiest target, not the hardest.

Anyway, the proof is out there. Tesla's have been sold for over a decade now and look: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/why-is-a-tesla-so-h...


That's a seven year period when only 115 were one way or another taken without consent, and all but 3 were swiftly recovered.. Thats nearly 98% recovery rate!! Bonkers stats really.

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
ingenieur said:
How difficult would it be to jam the GPS signal and stop the tracker working?
It won't be easy, and you would also need to stop the car connecting via the embedded sim to the data network. I imagine that with both systems manipulated to achieve the desired effect, the immobiliser would detect that all was not right and disable the car anyway. I'm sure that too can be worked around by someone with sufficient time and knowledge - but not on a person's driveway at 4am in the dark.

And if the thief is successful, they're reward is a car that now has no smart features, no navigation, no ota updates and worse of all, may have reported it's position and the fact it's being tampered with, without the thief being aware of it - so the police arrival could be moments away, at any moment during the entire, complex theft process.


ingenieur

4,168 posts

186 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
Krikkit said:
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.
True, no system is flawless - but some are robust enough for the time/effort required to not warrant the theft of the car in the first place. Also, as ever, thieves tend to like the easiest target, not the hardest.

Anyway, the proof is out there. Tesla's have been sold for over a decade now and look: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/why-is-a-tesla-so-h...


That's a seven year period when only 115 were one way or another taken without consent, and all but 3 were swiftly recovered.. Thats nearly 98% recovery rate!! Bonkers stats really.
That might be something to do with the resell market for Tesla parts. If you are a Tesla customer where do you take your car if it requires work? I imagine the vast majority of Tesla problems are sorted out at the Tesla dealer for the reason that the emerging technology is something the aftermarket service industry isn't jumping straight into. No doubt over time electric car servicing will be as ubiquitous as servicing for normal cars but it's still probably too soon.

The second way stolen cars are used is to take them out to the third world and sell them to somebody who will use it as a daily driver away from all the ANPR and that kind of surveillance we have in the west. They can cruise about in peace without ever worrying that they'll be picked up and have action taken.

On the second point you can easily imagine Tesla Superchargers are a little thin on the ground in the wider and wilder parts of the world.

In total to say Teslas aren't stolen as much because they have a very good security system may only be part of it. The demand for the cars has to be there as well.

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
ingenieur said:
TheDeuce said:
Krikkit said:
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.
True, no system is flawless - but some are robust enough for the time/effort required to not warrant the theft of the car in the first place. Also, as ever, thieves tend to like the easiest target, not the hardest.

Anyway, the proof is out there. Tesla's have been sold for over a decade now and look: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/why-is-a-tesla-so-h...


That's a seven year period when only 115 were one way or another taken without consent, and all but 3 were swiftly recovered.. Thats nearly 98% recovery rate!! Bonkers stats really.
That might be something to do with the resell market for Tesla parts. If you are a Tesla customer where do you take your car if it requires work? I imagine the vast majority of Tesla problems are sorted out at the Tesla dealer for the reason that the emerging technology is something the aftermarket service industry isn't jumping straight into. No doubt over time electric car servicing will be as ubiquitous as servicing for normal cars but it's still probably too soon.

The second way stolen cars are used is to take them out to the third world and sell them to somebody who will use it as a daily driver away from all the ANPR and that kind of surveillance we have in the west. They can cruise about in peace without ever worrying that they'll be picked up and have action taken.

On the second point you can easily imagine Tesla Superchargers are a little thin on the ground in the wider and wilder parts of the world.

In total to say Teslas aren't stolen as much because they have a very good security system may only be part of it. The demand for the cars has to be there as well.
Yes I'm aware that stolen cars are rapidly transported to places where the authorities simply don't care about the cars back story or legality. But I'm not sure that will continue to work with modern connected cars - the cars can become totally inoperable and require special kit and knowledge to get back up and running. This is not just an EV observation, but many very recent cars in general.


ingenieur

4,168 posts

186 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
ingenieur said:
TheDeuce said:
Krikkit said:
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.
True, no system is flawless - but some are robust enough for the time/effort required to not warrant the theft of the car in the first place. Also, as ever, thieves tend to like the easiest target, not the hardest.

Anyway, the proof is out there. Tesla's have been sold for over a decade now and look: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/why-is-a-tesla-so-h...


That's a seven year period when only 115 were one way or another taken without consent, and all but 3 were swiftly recovered.. Thats nearly 98% recovery rate!! Bonkers stats really.
That might be something to do with the resell market for Tesla parts. If you are a Tesla customer where do you take your car if it requires work? I imagine the vast majority of Tesla problems are sorted out at the Tesla dealer for the reason that the emerging technology is something the aftermarket service industry isn't jumping straight into. No doubt over time electric car servicing will be as ubiquitous as servicing for normal cars but it's still probably too soon.

The second way stolen cars are used is to take them out to the third world and sell them to somebody who will use it as a daily driver away from all the ANPR and that kind of surveillance we have in the west. They can cruise about in peace without ever worrying that they'll be picked up and have action taken.

On the second point you can easily imagine Tesla Superchargers are a little thin on the ground in the wider and wilder parts of the world.

In total to say Teslas aren't stolen as much because they have a very good security system may only be part of it. The demand for the cars has to be there as well.
Yes I'm aware that stolen cars are rapidly transported to places where the authorities simply don't care about the cars back story or legality. But I'm not sure that will continue to work with modern connected cars - the cars can become totally inoperable and require special kit and knowledge to get back up and running. This is not just an EV observation, but many very recent cars in general.
I suppose if it's GPS it could work anywhere. But the point about there being no charging points still stands. Why would you steal a Tesla if it can't be charged up in the destination market? I'm sure that would be one of the primary reasons not to pinch it.

TheDeuce

24,249 posts

71 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
ingenieur said:
TheDeuce said:
ingenieur said:
TheDeuce said:
Krikkit said:
In the short-term it's probably fine, but what happens when these systems are cracked? There's no such thing as a security system without flaws, and if it is cracked they'll have access to every module on the car over the air.
True, no system is flawless - but some are robust enough for the time/effort required to not warrant the theft of the car in the first place. Also, as ever, thieves tend to like the easiest target, not the hardest.

Anyway, the proof is out there. Tesla's have been sold for over a decade now and look: https://evannex.com/blogs/news/why-is-a-tesla-so-h...


That's a seven year period when only 115 were one way or another taken without consent, and all but 3 were swiftly recovered.. Thats nearly 98% recovery rate!! Bonkers stats really.
That might be something to do with the resell market for Tesla parts. If you are a Tesla customer where do you take your car if it requires work? I imagine the vast majority of Tesla problems are sorted out at the Tesla dealer for the reason that the emerging technology is something the aftermarket service industry isn't jumping straight into. No doubt over time electric car servicing will be as ubiquitous as servicing for normal cars but it's still probably too soon.

The second way stolen cars are used is to take them out to the third world and sell them to somebody who will use it as a daily driver away from all the ANPR and that kind of surveillance we have in the west. They can cruise about in peace without ever worrying that they'll be picked up and have action taken.

On the second point you can easily imagine Tesla Superchargers are a little thin on the ground in the wider and wilder parts of the world.

In total to say Teslas aren't stolen as much because they have a very good security system may only be part of it. The demand for the cars has to be there as well.
Yes I'm aware that stolen cars are rapidly transported to places where the authorities simply don't care about the cars back story or legality. But I'm not sure that will continue to work with modern connected cars - the cars can become totally inoperable and require special kit and knowledge to get back up and running. This is not just an EV observation, but many very recent cars in general.
I suppose if it's GPS it could work anywhere. But the point about there being no charging points still stands. Why would you steal a Tesla if it can't be charged up in the destination market? I'm sure that would be one of the primary reasons not to pinch it.
I agree. But plainly so few have been stolen that it can't just be put down to them not being popular in developing parts of the world, they're simply very tough to steal in the first place, and almost impossible to get very far without police intervention or remote shut down of the car.

distinctivedesign

151 posts

83 months

Tuesday 27th June 2023
quotequote all
I do predict a problem here, as the insurance market is not (yet) tuned into the in-built connected functionality of EV's.

If you live in London and its surrounding districts, it is now nigh on impossible to get insurance on higher value vehicles without Ghost-type immobilisers being specified - especially if one of the cars is a JLR or Toyota/Lexus product.

I have a small fleet policy for our vehicles and at the last renewal only two insurers were prepared to quote without Ghost systems being fitted to each vehicle, including the EV I had at the time. Like the OP, I was advised by the Ghost installers that the unit would not work correctly on an EV and, indeed, may cause other issues.

I managed to insure without the Ghost that time, but I suspect the days are limited. I have since ended up selling the EV, so the expense of fitting it would have been in vain anyway!