Cargo thefts are surging—and Tesla’s factory docks are proving to be an easy mark

Cargo theft is exploding across the US, with thieves increasingly targeting high-value shipments at their source rather than individual buyers. According to a report by Wired, criminals have turned their attention to Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada, where they are stealing batteries directly from the facility’s loading docks. This form of theft, known as “cargo theft,” has more than doubled in frequency since 2022, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.

The industry-wide cost of these crimes now exceeds $6.6 billion annually—nearly $18 million per day. A subset of cargo theft called “strategic theft” involves criminals exploiting weak points in security protocols, such as using fake IDs or infiltrating legitimate trucking operations to gain access to restricted areas. Remote locations, like the one where Gigafactory Nevada operates, provide ideal conditions for such thefts to go undetected.

Once stolen, the batteries or their valuable components are quickly sold off before authorities can intervene. In one case linked to Tesla’s Nevada facility, a suspicious party attempted to sell stolen Tesla car batteries to a Northern California auto parts store at a steep discount. The batteries were later confirmed as stolen.

Investigators have tried tracking stolen cargo using GPS signals on vehicles or placing trackers on abandoned ones, but thieves remain elusive. Tesla has acknowledged at least 11 thefts at its Nevada factory in the last six months, involving both car batteries and Powerwall 3 residential battery systems. One incident alone resulted in the loss of $475,000 worth of Powerwall 3 units.

Detective Sam Hatley of the Storey County Sheriff’s Office told Wired that his team is investigating at least 17 alleged cargo thefts from the past year, though the exact number tied to Tesla or Redwood Materials—a battery recycling facility also targeted—remains undisclosed. Tesla has implemented stricter security measures at its gates, including enhanced driver identity verification, which has helped reduce theft frequency. However, criminals continue to adapt, and the problem persists.