High-tech thieves: a Verti reports reveals that green cars are targeted for their valuable components. Hybrids are the most affected category in Italy (+43%).
The rise of electrified mobility, with a vehicle fleet that has seen electric cars grow by 46% and hybrids by 63%[1], is radically reshaping car thieves’ strategies in Italy. This is revealed by the latest Verti Movers data, the Observatory of Verti, the digital insurance company part of the MAPFRE Group, analysing the period from January 2025 to May 2026.
The overall data reveals a counterintuitive scenario: while whole-vehicle thefts among green cars have decreased by 35%, thefts of individual components (batteries, electronic control units, LED headlights and onboard displays) have increased by 43%.
Fully electric cars prove to be true hi-tech vehicles: during the analyzed period, not a single case of whole-vehicle theft was recorded. Satellite tracking systems and software traceability discourage thieves from stealing the entire vehicle. Instead, these cars are “cannibalized” on site: 100% of thefts involving fully electric vehicles concern valuable components.
The category most affected overall is Hybrid: with almost 8 affected vehicles every 1,000 insured vehicles, hybrid cars exceed the theft frequency recorded for diesel and petrol vehicles (around 6.5 cases per 1,000 vehicles).
At a geographical level, the data highlights the areas where this type of theft is most frequent, likely due to the presence of more organized supply chains for the resale of electronic components.
Lazio confirms itself as the highest-risk area in Italy. Out of 1,000 insured electric or hybrid vehicles, 16 experience a theft. In this region, green models are targeted 47% more often than traditional vehicles.
Veneto records the most significant difference: the risk of experiencing a partial or total theft involving an electric or hybrid vehicle is more than double (+140%) compared to petrol or diesel vehicles.
In Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, the trend is reversed: traditional vehicles are significantly more affected, likely due to an older average vehicle fleet and lower protection levels compared to newer electrified models.
[1] Source: https://www.anfia.it/it/comunicazione/notizie-e-comunicati/comunicati-stampa/mercato-vetture-italia/il-mercato-auto-italiano-perde-quasi-33-000-unita-nel-2025-chiudendo-a-2-1-rispetto-al-2024