Electric Car Trackers and Immobilisers

Electric car security involves using electronic or physical measures to deter malicious acts, prevent damage, and thwart vehicle theft. Such measures could include immobilisers, trackers, dash cams, and other physical deterrents like steering locks and driveway bollards.

In 2022/23, there were 130,521 motor vehicle thefts in England and Wales, which is a significant increase compared to the previous year. Since 2013/14, vehicle theft has been on the rise, when 70,000 vehicles were recorded as stolen. The rise in vehicle thefts can be somewhat attributed to the growing use of keyless entry and start systems, along with the emergence of new digital theft methods that allow thieves to circumvent factory-installed security features and steal vehicles in mere seconds.

Almost every vehicle make and model regardless of its powertrain has an equal risk, meaning that just about any modern vehicle on the road can be stolen as easily as the next, particularly if it's fitted with keyless technologies. For the past 6-7 years, the Range Rover has consistently been the most stolen vehicle. This is not due to any particular vulnerability in its factory-fitted security (other than it's fitted with keyless technology), but rather because it's simply highly sought-after.

Here we discuss some of the most important things you can do to protect your electric car against theft.

1. Keyless entry and Start systems.

If your electric vehicle (EV) has a keyless entry and start system, it is recommended that you turn it off. This will prevent thieves from using electronic devices to pick up and transmit your EV’s key's signal, which would allow thieves to gain entry, start and steal your electric car. Although you will need to press the unlock button on the fob every time you want to enter the car, it is a simple step that can provide added protection.

If you cannot turn off your electric car's keyless entry and start system, it is important to take measures to protect your EV’s key. You can either keep the key in a Faraday pouch or box when you are not using the car or keep the key a good distance away from the vehicle.

If you choose to keep your key at a distance from your EV, make sure there is no direct line of sight to the vehicle, such as through windows and doors. The transceivers that thieves use can broadcast deeply into a house to find your key, so simply keeping the key a good distance away from your electric car may not always be sufficient. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you use aftermarket security products such as a tracker and immobiliser system, as well as a Faraday pouch, to further deny entry to the vehicle.

2. Look for an indication your vehicle is locked.

Thieves are now using signal jammers to prevent EV owners' key fobs from locking their vehicles. It's easy for them to target electric car owners who don't bother to check if their vehicle actually locked before walking away. These types of thefts usually take place in supermarket car parks, but they can happen anywhere. Thieves wait for a vehicle of interest to drive by, follow it to get close, and then broadcast a jamming signal to prevent the key's signal from locking the vehicle. When the owner presses the lock button and walks away, the car remains unlocked, giving the thieves easy access to it. They can steal the vehicle through an OBD attack or a cloned key.

To avoid this type of theft, always check for an indication that your EV received the lock signal from the key fob. This can be a flashing indicator light, folding mirrors, or a horn beep. If you don't receive any indication after pressing the lock button, your key's signal is likely being jammed. In this case, stop and lock your car manually using the key blade or by touching the door handle if fitted with keyless technology. Locking your EV by touching the door handle is a great way to prevent this type of theft, as it avoids the use of the key's signal and therefore foils jamming attempts.

3. Invest and install additional aftermarket car security.

Unfortunately, many vehicles being produced these days have inadequate security features, leaving them vulnerable to digital theft. Manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the rapid development of new theft techniques, which is why electric car owners in the UK are turning to aftermarket solutions to protect their vehicles.

Aftermarket immobilisers are becoming increasingly important in the fight against modern digital theft methods. These user-friendly passive devices require no input from the driver and provide an additional layer of authorisation for your EV’s starting procedure, working independently from the vehicle’s factory-fitted security systems. They are great upgrades for preventing modern theft techniques such as relay attack and key cloning.

Modern professional vehicle trackers are also essential in the recovery efforts of a stolen vehicle. Without one, the chances of finding and recovering a stolen electric car are slim. Motor insurers often require the installation of Thatcham category S5 trackers, especially for vehicles over £45,000. These trackers offer 24/7 theft monitoring and automatic driver recognition, making them a must-have item on your EV’s security to-do list. Thatcham category S5 trackers are insurance-approved products, and their installation can also help to reduce your insurance premium.

Ideally, you should have both a tracker and an immobiliser to ensure maximum security for your electric car. An aftermarket immobiliser prevents nearly all attempts of opportunistic theft, while the tracker serves as a backup in case of theft in whatever circumstances. Without an immobiliser, your vehicle can be stolen with relative ease using modern theft techniques. And without a tracker, you are unlikely to recover your car if it does get stolen.

4. Factory-fitted trackers (a false sense of security).

It is not recommended to subscribe or activate your EV’s factory-fitted tracker. If your new electric car comes with a tracker subscription, it's fine, but spending money on one when equipping the car from new, or even activating it in a preowned car is not advisable. Even if you are already subscribed to the service and the factory-fitted tracker is active, it's recommended to have an aftermarket tracker installed.

The reason for this is that most factory-fitted trackers are not designed for true vehicle security purposes. Rather, it’s just your connected car communications hardware with a monitoring centre attached to it, marketed as a factory-fitted tracker. Some of them may be independent factory-fitted trackers, but they are often outdated and bulky, making them easy to find by thieves. Manufacturers offer factory-fitted trackers and services as another revenue stream, but they are expensive compared to aftermarket subscription rates.

The main reason to avoid factory-fitted trackers is that they are installed on a production line. This means they are all fitted in the same place, specific to the car model. For example, a Range Rover's factory-fitted tracker, marketed as InControl Secure, is fitted in the same location on every single Range Rover that comes off the production line. This makes it easy for thieves to locate and remove the tracker if they know where to look. Most stolen-recovered Range Rovers are found with the factory-fitted tracker disabled, but thieves will also disable all factory-fitted hardware that can communicate with the outside world, including the SOS call system. It's easy for someone to disable the Range Rover's factory-fitted tracker in under 60 seconds. Interestingly the Range Rover InControl Secure tracker is also category S5 Thatcham and insurance-approved and can be configured as a regular category S7 too. However, such is the ease of factory-fitted tracker disabling and removal that insurers of Range Rovers stopped providing cover even with the activation of Land Rover's own Thatcham and Insurance-approved category S5 tracker (factory-fitted). So, a security product that car insurers endorse is now not acceptable even while being a Thatcham-certified category S5 tracker, why?

Because it’s factory fitted. Motor insurers have learnt the hard way that trackers just can't be factory-fitted, they need to be installed in the aftermarket. They're too easy to find and disable when factory-fitted and insurers have found this out through costly pay-outs on ‘stolen not recovered’ vehicles. The key to trackers is for them to be installed in secrecy, a process known as security through obscurity, having the whereabouts of your vehicle’s factory-fitted tracker on the internet with detailed documentation of how to access it isn’t very secure or secretive, but that’s the case with factory-fitted tracking systems.

While that covers why you shouldn’t rely on a factory-fitted tracker for your electric vehicle's security there’s also the matter of dealership-fitted trackers.

Dealership-fitted trackers -Depending on the vehicle manufacturer and dealership, they sometimes work with the automotive security aftermarket and offer customers the fitment of professional-grade aftermarket trackers in-house at the dealership. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Your new Audi is fitted with an Audi-recommended and supplied aftermarket tracker and is installed by Audi technicians, what’s wrong with that?

Well, their day job isn’t vehicle security installation, it’s the servicing of Audi cars, they’re not professionals in the installation of aftermarket security equipment so you’re unlikely to receive the quality of installation expected from an independent vehicle security installation professional.

Installation of aftermarket equipment at the dealership means they must also follow strict installation procedures and use connection methods that would otherwise be seen as compromising the covertness of the installation by aftermarket installation professionals. Dealership technicians also usually follow specifications for the connection and positioning of the tracker provided by the aftermarket supplier, so as with factory-fitted trackers they are likely to be found again in the same locations (model specific).

Therefore, it’s also not recommended you have your tracker installed at the dealership either unless you do your research, ask, and find that a third-party vehicle security installation professional comes into the dealership to perform their installations, this is the case from time to time as most dealership service departments are usually inundated with their own workload so choose to use a third-party to perform their installations.

Conclusion -

To conclude, it’s wise to invest and install some form of aftermarket vehicle security product on your electric car. With the development of new digital theft techniques, most modern vehicle factory-fitted security features are inadequate leading to an increased risk of vehicle theft. Therefore, it's recommended you turn off your electric vehicle’s keyless entry system if possible and take measures to secure your EV’s key against relay attack and key cloning. You should also be wary of your key’s signal being jammed when locking your vehicle and look for an indication from your electric car that it received the signal and locked, indicator flash, folded mirror, or horn beep. For peace of mind, theft prevention and recovery capabilities, the installation of an aftermarket tracker and immobiliser is recommended to combat modern digital theft methods but installed by an industry professional, not a dealership unless they use industry professionals to carry out this type of work. Also, activation or reliance on a factory-fitted tracker is NOT recommended.

Why should you be thinking about adding extra - aftermarket security to your EV?

The main reason is that modern vehicles are not very secure. The adoption of keyless entry and start systems, coupled with the fact that so many of the functions of a modern vehicle are software-driven (including the start authorisation) has meant that vehicle theft has skyrocketed in recent years.

Thieves now have access to technology that has revolutionised and digitised their theft methods.

Relay Attack - The exploitation of keyless entry and start systems via relay transceivers.

OBD Attack – Compromising a vehicle's electronic control modules via sophisticated software.

Key Cloning – A perfect clone of your key, done in seconds, ready to use at any time.

Much of the demand for vehicle theft is driven by overseas ‘stolen to order’ types of theft but also the breaking of vehicles for parts. Insurance-related scams are also popular whereby organised criminals buy insurance write-offs and then steal an identical vehicle to use as a donor for the parts needed to put that written vehicle back on the road.

There is however another inevitable direction that vehicle theft will take for electric cars; they’ll be stolen for their batteries. Once a black market for these batteries has been developed thieves are likely to steal electric vehicles to cash in on the value of the precious metals and expensive materials used in those batteries.

As electric vehicles become ever more popular and start to replace the current petrol and diesel fleets, we believe the future of car theft is likely to pursue software-enabled theft methods with a lot of effort going into stealing the batteries from these vehicles.

Electronic security for electric cars

We highly recommend installing a Thatcham category S5 electric car tracker and immobiliser to provide excellent protection against modern digital theft methods. In case your vehicle is stolen, this also enables a professional, police-backed response to recovery. It is recommended to install both a Thatcham S5 EV (electric vehicle) tracker and immobiliser from the same hardware manufacturer as a combined system. This not only provides more functionality but also makes it a more user-friendly system. The combined S5 tracker and immobiliser systems can use the communication capabilities of the tracker to remotely control the arming and disarming of the engine immobiliser for added security and convenience.

To combat more specialist theft methods that use software to compromise a vehicle’s onboard electronic systems, the fitment of an OBD (On Board Diagnostics) port immobiliser is also useful. Thieves use software to communicate with a vehicle's onboard electrical systems by plugging hardware into the OBD port, circumventing many things needed for starting the vehicle and stealing it with ease. The installation of an OBD port immobiliser denies thieves easy access to a vehicle's on-board electronic systems, preventing modern theft methods such as OBD attacks and key cloning.

For extra security and peace of mind, the addition of a secondary tracker alongside your other security is a good idea. Using a wireless battery-powered tracker enables the device to be installed in even more covert locations on a vehicle, requiring no hardwiring. These can be positioned in locations not normally accessible for hardwired devices such as underneath the vehicle or behind exterior panels where vehicle wiring is non-existent. The secondary backup tracker can be used to continue tracking a stolen vehicle if the main tracker is lost and provides further resistance to jamming.

Physical deterrents for EV’s

Installing a steering lock is a wise choice to protect your electric car against theft. We recommend using the type that covers the entire wheel instead of the bar style, which can be easily defeated by thieves cutting through the steering wheel.

Driveway bollards are another great addition to enhance your EV’s security whilst at home. They can prevent thieves from driving away with your vehicle directly from your driveway. Driveway bollards come in different shapes and configurations, including fold-down surface-mounted or assisted-manual lift posts. Some models even feature smart technologies for automated lifting and lowering using a motorised mechanism when your vehicle is within range.

However, it is essential to keep in mind that while physical car security upgrades are effective, they can also be inconvenient and cumbersome to use. For instance, steering locks need to be locked and unlocked every time you want to drive the car, and driveway bollards can only provide security when your car is at home. Unless you have the budget for an automated system, driveway bollards will require the manual operation of multiple posts every time you enter or leave your driveway.

Therefore, we would recommend the installation of a tracker and immobiliser system for anyone looking to upgrade their electric car's security. It’s a user-friendly system that arms and disarms the immobiliser automatically without interaction from the driver. It also does this whether you are at home, work or even abroad so you’ll also take that security with you wherever you go. However, it must be said that physical deterrents do serve well as visual deterrents by making your car look far less attractive behind driveway bollards or a steering lock.

All trackers and immobiliser offered on our site are compatible with electric vehicles at the time of writing. If your unsure or have any questions then please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help and advise - contact us

If your insurance company has requested that you install a tracker in your electric vehicle, they will usually ask for a Thatcham-approved, professionally monitored tracker. Even if you are not required to install a tracker for insurance purposes, it is still recommended that you install a professionally monitored tracker.

'Thatcham Approved' products are those that have been independently tested and certified by Thatcham. This certification assures the functionality, design, performance, and compliance with legislative and automotive quality standards have been met. Thatcham has established compliance criteria for two categories of Stolen Vehicle Tracking: Category S7 and Category S5. We’ll explain the difference between the two categories below.

Thatcham Category ‘S7’

Thatcham Category S7 is a type of standalone tracking unit that is primarily used to secure lower-value vehicles. These trackers provide location data and monitor driving behaviour, among other important features. They are connected to a monitoring centre that operates 24/7 with trained personnel who are alerted when the tracker detects any suspicious activity. If the tracker generates any alerts, the monitoring centre will immediately contact the owner of the vehicle.

Thatcham S7 trackers are equipped with features like vehicle battery disconnection detection and tow-away alerts to prevent possible sabotage. Additionally, the tracking unit has an in-built backup battery that enables it to remain operational even when its power supply is removed.

In the event of a theft, the owner of the vehicle needs to report the incident to the secure control room by phone. The personnel will then work with the police to aid in the recovery of the stolen vehicle.

Thatcham Category ‘S5’

Thatcham Category S5 systems are designed for high-value and high-risk vehicles. They consist of a tracking unit and automatic driver recognition technology, which provides fast proactive alerts to any unauthorised vehicle movement.

Driver recognition technology confirms that the driver of the vehicle is authorised to drive it. In most cases, a small battery-powered tag is attached to the vehicle's key or carried by the driver. When the vehicle's ignition is switched on, the tracking unit scans to find the signal from the tag. If the tag is detected, the system recognises the driver as authorised. However, if the tracking device fails to detect the driver recognition tag, an alert is sent to the monitoring centre, and the owner of the vehicle is contacted to check if a theft has taken place. The monitoring team then works with the police to help recover the vehicle quickly.

Compared to S7 systems, where you would need to discover and then report the theft, S5 systems alert quickly to any unauthorised use or theft of the vehicle. This fast alerting is the difference between the two systems. With an S7 device, you may not realise the vehicle has been stolen for several hours, whereas S5 systems ensure the fastest response from the monitoring team and the police, increasing the chances of a safe recovery of the vehicle.

S5 systems include all functionality associated with an S7 but with the added benefit of driver recognition.

If you are thinking of installing an aftermarket electric vehicle (EV) immobiliser, or need one for insurance compliance, then you've come to the right place. Specialist Trackers UK offers the best standalone immobilisers and combined tracker and immobiliser systems on the market.

As vehicle theft continues to rise, insurers are also turning to aftermarket immobilisers. However, there are currently no specific Thatcham/insurance-approved categories for aftermarket immobilisers, except for Category 2, which mainly relates to factory-fitted equipment. Therefore, it is somewhat hit-and-miss whether insurers have the product you want to install on their approval list. Aftermarket automotive security companies are working hard to update the insurance companies' lists of accepted products as quickly as possible with modern products. This is important work because many approved products are older, inferior, and discontinued immobilisers that insurers recommend to customers, even though there are better, more modern alternatives available.

An aftermarket immobiliser is an electronic anti-theft device that prevents the unauthorised driving or starting of a vehicle. Although similar in operation to factory-fitted immobilisers, aftermarket immobilisers differ in several areas. Firstly, they work independently from your electric cars' factory-fitted systems, which means they are not influenced or disarmed by the presence of your vehicle's key or its signal. With many modern theft methods exploiting the vulnerabilities of keyless entry and start systems, this feature is critical because it makes them effective in preventing digital theft methods such as relay attack and key cloning.

Second, when paired with a tracker, many modern immobilisers can use over-the-air communications, which can enable remote immobilisation of the vehicle. You can find these products and more information on them here - Combined Tracker and Immobilisers.

Third, most EV immobilisers are passive systems that arm and disarm automatically without any input from the driver. This is achieved through proximity and communication of an ID tag. Unlike the factory vehicle key, the ID tag uses a different technology for communication, which makes it less vulnerable to signal relaying due to its security architecture. The increased theft rate of modern vehicles fitted with keyless entry/start systems is due to the vulnerability of the factory vehicle key's signal, which can be easily relayed to the vehicle at a distance, fooling its onboard electrical systems into thinking the key is close-by.

Finally, aftermarket immobilisers are currently superior to factory-fitted immobilisers for vehicles fitted with keyless entry/start systems. Factory-fitted immobilisers can be disabled in as little as 30 seconds, making them vulnerable to modern digital theft methods such as 'relay attack'. If you're looking to increase your vehicle's security, the aftermarket now offers many systems that are far superior to anything fitted at the factory. Unfortunately, vehicle manufacturers are lagging behind the advances and threats made in vehicle theft techniques. As a result, electric vehicle owners are turning to the aftermarket for new advances in vehicle security products and technologies to secure their vehicles against theft.

If you are looking for additional security for your electric car, I would recommend a combined tracker and immobiliser system as the minimum level of security needed for effective protection against modern theft techniques. This is because modern vehicles with keyless entry/start technologies can be easily stolen, even older turnkey-style technologies. Thieves can steal most types of vehicles including electric vehicles in as little as 30 seconds using modern theft methods such as relay attack, OBD attack and key cloning.

While other types of vehicle security such as trackers are critical in the recovery of a stolen EV, they do not prevent theft. An electric car fitted with any type of tracker can still be stolen using modern theft methods and provides no increase in its security or theft prevention other than the capability of potentially alerting to the theft attempt and providing positioning data for its hopeful recovery. Therefore, I recommend fitting an aftermarket electric car immobiliser but pairing it with a tracker. This combination is effective at preventing keyless theft because the immobiliser works independently from your EV’s factory security systems and is not disarmed via the factory remote/vehicle key.

A combined tracker and immobiliser system is a vehicle security package that usually includes a category S5 tracker and immobiliser. The immobiliser is automatically armed and disarmed via the proximity of a battery-operated ID tag.

Having a combined tracker and immobiliser system installed on your electric vehicle is crucial to protect against modern keyless theft techniques such as relay attack, OBD attack and key cloning. The most important feature of this system is the immobiliser, which automatically arms and disarms via proximity of the ID tag, ensuring that your EV is always immobilised when not in use. This helps to prevent the exploitation of keyless entry and start technology and protects your electric car from many of the modern theft methods.

Most of these systems do not require any input from the driver, as they are passive systems. This means that the immobilisation and therefore the security of your electric car is armed automatically.

To browse our selection of combined tracker and immobiliser systems please click here –

Combined tracker & immobiliser systems

When visiting our immobiliser pages please note that we primarily use the term 'engine immobiliser' throughout our site. However, it is important to understand that an immobiliser can be installed on virtually any type of powertrain, the wording used before 'immobiliser' is typically used to describe the product's intended application.

All immobilisation products on our site at the time of writing are compatible with all alternative powertrains. If you are unsure, would like to check, or have any questions about product selection for your electric vehicle before placing an order, then please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help –Contact Us

When it comes to security upgrades for your electric car it’s important to compare electronic and physical options based on their ease of use, cost, range of use, and effectiveness. Generally, electronic EV security products offer better features than physical options but are more expensive. However, some physical security products such as driveway bollards can be considerably more expensive than any electronic security system you can find on the market.

Electronic security systems such as trackers and immobilisers are easy to use, reasonably priced, and provide real benefits in preventing theft. They are effective in stopping modern theft techniques. On the other hand, physical security deterrents such as steering wheel locks and driveway bollards offer great visual deterrence to potential thieves. They can prevent thieves from even attempting to steal your electric car. However, these physical deterrents have some disadvantages. For example, steering locks are cumbersome to operate and move, while driveway bollards require constant manual operation. Moreover, driveway bollards only provide security while your EV is at home. Once you leave your driveway, they obviously don’t provide any protection from theft.

To enhance your electric car security, it is recommended to use a mix of electronic and physical deterrents. However, it is better to install electronic security first. Since electronic security such as trackers and immobilisers are intended to be installed covertly and professionally, it is not advisable to display any stickers or indicators that reveal the presence of security devices fitted to your electric vehicle. This information can prompt thieves to actively look for your electronic security devices, advertising or not indicating anything is the best practice. By not advertising the presence of electronic security devices, thieves will be unsure whether your car has any security measures installed, which can help to discourage a wary thief from attempting to steal your vehicle.

On the other hand, if you don't show any signs of having added any additional security features to your electric vehicle, it could encourage thieves to believe that you have no protection, making your vehicle an easy target. If your concerned about this then the fitment of physical deterrents such as steering wheel locks, driveway bollards, and dash cams can be used to deter thieves whilst still not giving away information about your additional electronic security.

Its simple!

1. Select the product you wish to have installed and either add it to your bag or go straight to checkout.

2. Once purchased Specialised Trackers UK will contact you within 24 hours to arrange a date and time for your installation.

3. Once your product has been installed you will automatically receive your ‘proof of installation certificate’ via email (Insurance compliance products). This is the important bit your insurer will be needing from you to prove the product has been fitted. Simply forward this document on to your insurer.

4. Your all set and insurance compliant!