There are a number of features that make Teslas a bad candidate for carjackers. Most of these features are baked into the Tesla app’s functionality, which allows the owner to access and control them remotely.
These features broadly fall into two categories; the first being features that prevent the vehicle from being stolen in the first place and the second being features that can help you apprehend the culprit or intervene once the vehicle has been stolen.
Here are a list of the features that can help prevent a vehicle from being stolen the first place.
Sentry Mode
The first feature is the Sentry Mode. This is like a super alarm for your Tesla. It allows you to create a 360 protection zone around your vehicle using your cameras and proximity sensors. Depending on settings, it can record and alert you whenever someone gets close to your vehicle.
Valet Mode
The second feature is called the Valet Mode. When you turn on Tesla Valet Mode, the vehicle’s operating system imposes a number of restrictions. It restricts the vehicle’s top speed to 70 mph, limits acceleration to 25%, and prohibits Autopilot from being used. It also locks the glove box and trunk, as well as limiting the amount of personal information displayed on the Media Control Unit, such as the owner’s home address, phone contacts, online calendars, and more. Access to HomeLink, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi is also disabled.
Speed Limit Mode
The third feature is Speed Limits Mode. This feature limits the top speed of the stolen Tesla to a maximum of 50 mph. That means the vehicle can only travel as fast as 50 mph while while in Speed Limit Mode. Not being able to travel at a faster speed will reduce the range and radius at which the carjacker can get away from the point where the vehicle was stolen.
In addition, the carjacker’s options are limited in terms of where to drive because under the Speed Limit Mode, the vehicle will not be able to be driven effectively on freeways, further limiting the getaway options of the carjacker.
In the unfortunate event that none of the above features were active of the carjacker were somehow able to evade them, no need to panic. Here are a list of features that can help you intercept the vehicle once it’s been stolen and make life difficult for the carjacker.
Flash
The first feature is the Flash. This allows you to turn on and off the headlights of the vehicle remotely. So you can imagine a carjacker driving down the road and the headlights keep flashing on and off without control. This could potentially alert law enforcement or people around that the vehicle is in peril, bringing unwanted attention to the stolen vehicle and carjacker.
Honk
The second feature is the Honk. This allows you to honk the horns of the vehicle remotely. So you can imagine a carjacker driving down the street and the horns keep honking without control. This will definitely alert law enforcement or other security officials that the vehicle is in peril, bringing unwanted attention to the stolen vehicle. At the very least, it will make driving through stolen Tesla unbearable.
Location
The third feature is the Location Tracking. This allows you to track the stolen Tesla in remotely and in realtime. You can pinpoint where your Tesla is at anytime via the Tesla mobile app. It shows you whether the Tesla is stationary or driving. This means there is nowhere on this plant (or in space) that the carjacker can take your vehicle without you being able to locate it. So if all else fails, just sit back and wait for the carjacker to get to his or her destination. Then you can simply call the cops and send them to the exact spot where your stole Tesla is parked.
Lastly we are gonna file these following features under the category of “things that would make life difficult and annoying for the carjacker”.
Temperature Controls
With the temperature control feature, depending on the temperature of the day, you can either make the vehicle extremely hot or extremely cold and uncomfortable for carjacker. Of course the carjacker can simply turn it off or change the settings from within the vehicle. However you can do this repeatedly, over and over again, taking his or her attention of the road and frustrating them, which in effect makes them a less effective carjacker.
Open Frunk
With the open front feature, you can force the front trunk or ”frunk” of the vehicle to open. Once open, this triggers an alert in the vehicle which will further frustrate and annoy the driver, making their driving experience more uncomfortable and distracting.
The more things you can do to frustrate the carjacker and make life as miserable as possible, the more you can reduce the likelihood of that being a successful carjacking, increasing the possibility of retrieving your vehicle and apprehending the culprit.
So let this stand as a warning to all would-be carjackers to stay away from mine or everyone’s Tesla, or else face the numerous consequences that will befall them once they journey down this I’ll-advised path. It’s just not worth it. Instead of stealing EVs, perhaps check out the VOLTY EV jobs board below to find a job in the booming EV sector.
