Technology to slow down or switch off the engines of stolen cars could soon be used to curb Queensland's car theft crisis, an expert says.
Motor Trade Association Queensland CEO Rod Camm said many electric vehicles were already fitted with technology — including engine immobilisers — that could be accessed remotely.
"Most of the European vehicles now have this capacity, and Toyota for example can certainly track the car, turn air-con on, make the windows go down," he said.
It comes as a man allegedly stole a bright green Tesla from tennis player Nick Kyrigos' mum on Monday after demanding she hand over the keys at gunpoint.
The court heard Kyrigos used an app to track the car's location and limit its speed, trapping the driver so police could catch and arrest him.
Mr Camm told ABC Radio Brisbane while many drivers could switch off their electric car engines remotely, this function was not always available as it was not usually safe.
"If someone is in your car, and they're going through a busy intersection perhaps inappropriately, and you turn the car off, there's a risk you can cause an accident," Mr Camm said.
"The technology can be used for that [to immobilise the engine], but generally it's about slowing the car down and tracking it, instead of turning the car off."
He said electric vehicles often had a "valet mode" that would restrict cars to 20 kilometres an hour, for example, so unintended drivers could not take it on a joy ride.
What about non-electric vehicles?
Engine immobilisers have been mandatory in all new vehicles in Australia since 2001, but they are usually activated and deactivated using the car's own key.
"In the old days, you used to be able to hot-wire a car, for example, but now you need the key [to start a car]," Mr Camm said.
A unique electrical code or signal is embedded in the driver's car key that deactivates the immobiliser when the key is turned in the ignition.
But this means the immobiliser cannot be activated from a distance.
Mr Camm said "retrofitting" older cars and combustion vehicles with remote engine immobilisers was possible but expensive.
"Queensland together with the police have been looking at running some pilots, and they have explored it as to what the capacity and what the cost would be," he said.
"There's a cost to it — it's not easy to fit this technology, but you can do it certainly."
Still hide your car keys
The Queensland government will begin a $10 million engine immobiliser trial in crime hotspots in Townsville, Cairns, and Mt Isa later this year.
Up to 20,000 subsidy vouchers will be offered to eligible residents to offset the cost of installing an approved device.
The ABC understands remote engine immobilisers will be included in the approved devices list, as well as "pin-pad" immobilisers to be mounted on the vehicle.
Mr Camm said storing your car keys out of sight remained the best way to avoid having your car stolen in the first place.
"The first thing [thieves] do before they steal a car or break into a house is they'll do the circumference of the house trying to look in windows to see if the keys are visible," he said.
"And if the keys are visible, it's worth breaking in."
