Parents Sue Kia After Teens Killed in Stolen Crashed SUV

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

A New York Kia Sportage crash that killed four teens and injured two others was allegedly caused by Kia even though the 2021 Kia Sportage was stolen and traveling 100 mph when it crashed into a wall.

California Hits 1.5 Million EV Sales

column and using a USB cable to bypass the security system.

It’s believed the first class action lawsuit was filed in 2021 for Wisconsin customers where the problem allegedly first began.

The online videos show exactly how to steal the Hyundai or Kia vehicle, and then to make the theft a “challenge,”

Milestone 2 Years Ahead of Schedule

By Steven Loveday InsideEVs

The California Energy Commission said the Golden State hit its previously designated target of 1.5 million electric vehicle sales two years ahead of its goal of 2025.

This may come as no surprise to people who follow the space, thanks to the huge popularity of EVs in California. It’s not the only U.S. state with booming EV sales, as the list is growing.

According to Electrek, former California Gov. Jerry Brown set the 2025 EV sales target in 2012. The only fully electric car for sale in the state at that time was the Nissan Leaf. The Tesla Model S came out later

REGIONAL NEWS that year. Tesla had sold the original Roadster in years prior.

There were just thousands of EVs sold in California by 2012, but the progress since has been exponential. California had more than 1.5 million EV sales on the books at the end of the third quarter 2023, though the number of fully electric models was at just over 1 million. The rest were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which, despite being “EVs,” many people don’t see as electric cars since they still have gas engines. In 2023, 21% of cars sold thus far in California have been EVs. No other state can claim such high numbers. In fact, 40% of all zero-emission cars sold so far in the U.S. in 2023 have l CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed by two mothers of two of the deceased teens who claim the crash would not have occurred if Kia would have installed engine immobilizers in the Sportage.

According to the lawsuit: “An engine immobilizer is a critical piece of electronic security technology that serves as a crucial tool in minimizing the risk of vehicle theft. Immobilizers prevent vehicles from being started unless a unique code is transmitted from the vehicle’s key.”

In 2021, criminals began posting videos online about how to steal Hyundai and Kia vehicles by breaking into the vehicle, removing the steering criminals are encouraged to post their own videos showing how they stole the vehicles. The lawsuit said, “numerous countries have adopted legislation requiring immobilizers as standard equipment for new automobiles.”

But what the lawsuit doesn’t mention is the U.S. isn’t one of those countries, as engine immobilizers are not required by U.S. laws.

The Kia Sportage Crash

The New York Kia Sportage crash occurred Oct. 24, 2022, after a 16-yearold boy drove the stolen Kia into a wall at 100 mph, killing four teens: Marcus Webster, 19, Swazine Swindle, 17, l CONTINUED ON PAGE 33