How to Protect Your Tesla From Theft
Earlier this week, a Tesla owner in Essex, UK, posted a CCTV footage of his Model S being stolen by a pair of thieves, who were able to unlock and start the car using a smartphone and tablet. By hijacking the owner’s key fob, they were able to get into the car, start the car, turn off remote tracking and escape from his bizarre ride!
While “keeping your Tesla safe” may be one of the biggest challenges we have ever encountered, many vehicles use keyless entry and hence have similar security concerns . As noted by The Verge , a number of car manufacturers, including Volkswagen and Mercedes , have had to contend with tech-savvy car thieves for years who have exploited loopholes in their key fobs.
So what can you do to keep your Musk-mobile safe? There are a couple of high-tech ways to optimize Teslas to protect against theft, and a couple of broader tips to help secure any keyless entry vehicle.
Enable “PIN for Drive”
Earlier this year, Tesla added two-factor authentication to the Model S and Model X to block thieves who manage to forge a key fob. Tesla’s PIN code for driving requires drivers to enter a four-digit code into the vehicle’s central computer in order to start the engine. To activate the PIN for Drive from the Tesla center screen, select Controls, then Safety and Security and finally PIN to Drive, then follow the instructions. We always recommend using two-factor authentication whenever possible. Even in your car.
Tesla forum users have expressed concern that the four-digit code seems easy to guess, especially if a thief can identify the digits in your passcode by looking at the fingerprint smudges. This isn’t as much of a problem as you might think – the center console is used for a lot of things besides entering a password, so it’s probably not obvious what kind of stains are showing up when you enter your PIN. However, if you want to be absolutely sure, remember to wipe the touchscreen frequently. Or wear driving gloves before starting the car.
Disable keyless entry
If the video scares you to the point that you’re willing to sacrifice a little convenience in the name of security, Teslas gives you the option to disable the keyless entry that opens your doors when a key fob approaches.
To disable keyless entry on the Tesla center screen, press “security” then “doors and handles.” From there, you can disable keyless entry. In the same menu, you can also turn off the “automatic handle presence” feature, which flips the car’s door handles when your key fob is within reach.
These are relatively minor preventative measures – even without keyless access, thieves can hack into your car in the old-fashioned way, and they can still start the car by forging the key fob once they get inside. However, keyless entry will make it harder to steal your car and increase the chances of them being spotted in the process, so that’s something.
Store your keys in a Faraday cage
The video shows that the thieves activated the car by detecting the frequency used by the key fob using a phone and increasing the detection range using a tablet. You can make it impossible to clone your key fob’s signal by placing the keys in a sealed metal container, also known as a Faraday cage , that blocks incoming and outgoing electronic signals.
Finding or making your own RFID blocking container is easy. In the past, we have recommended using the Altoid tin can as an RFID blocking wallet, which can also work well as a portable key case. You can turn any metal container into a Faraday cage by lining it with aluminum foil and sealing it with aluminum tape .
If you want something a little more fashionable, you can always buy an RFID-blocked Faraday bag: there are a lot of them, and visitors to the Tesla forum assume they perform well overall.
Add additional GPS
Teslas has a GPS remote tracking feature that gives law enforcement a “Find My iPhone” style of vehicle tracking. Unfortunately, as we’ve probably seen in this video, this feature can easily be disabled by a thief when he’s started the car.
If you want law enforcement to have a slightly better chance of finding a vehicle, you can take your Tesla to a store and install an aftermarket GPS tracker in / on your vehicle. There are many GPS devices available on Amazon that either plug into your car’s OBD port or can be hidden anywhere in your car. Most are pretty cheap – especially when compared to the cost of Tesla – although they burden you with monthly or yearly maintenance fees.
There are ways for a discreet car thief to bypass these trackers, such as a GPS jammer, but if they know Tesla has built-in remote tracking, they are less likely to take these steps. See? Car owners can be cunning too.
Connect your car
The biggest obstacle for Tesla thieves in the video wasn’t an alarm or an unusual security feature – it was a fucking charger! They spent more time trying to disconnect Tesla from their home than breaking into a car.
Since electric vehicles are not very common and maintenance is not ubiquitous, forcing a thief to unplug your vehicle is also a preventive security measure. This may not stop a knowledgeable and / or well-trained thief, but it confused these guys and they seem to get together.