Has a Tesla or Rivian ever been stolen without the owner leaving their phone or keycard in the car? If PIN to drive is enabled, I assume it’s impossible to steal without towing it.
The initial cost they pay for the car is the cost associated with stealing it, nowhere near the actual value of the car. It doesn't matter how little is recovered relative to the total cost of the car, so long that their losses are negative or at least minimal.
"tesla relay attack"
[0] https://www.wired.com/story/tesla-ultra-wideband-radio-relay...
Read that part.
Which then allows you to move the vehicle (not start it), as you have physical access. As in the article I linked to.