Lots of cars are worth more as parts, and not just 20 year old ones sitting in the local salvage yard. Individual parts (airbags, ECUs, on-board entertainment s

Lots of cars are worth more as parts, and not just 20 year old ones sitting in the local salvage yard. Individual parts (airbags, ECUs, on-board entertainment systems, etc) can frequently run hundreds of dollars on the secondary markets. Further, most mechanics don't verify the serial number of a part before installing it in a car they are repairing. As the cars are stolen, its all easy money for everyone involved as the thief doesn't have to make 100k on it. Even a few grand could make it worth the effort. Then beyond the thief and the chop shop, no one needs know the parts are stolen. In a way its a good sign for tesla, cars tend to be stolen at rates proportional to their popularity. It also means that there must be a functional market for the parts.