With a vehicle stolen every four minutes in France, vehicle security is becoming complicated in the face of the increasingly sophisticated methods used by thieves. Stolen vehicle recovery solutions are essential. Using its autonomous and non-jamming tracker, technology is available that can locate and recover a stolen vehicle wherever it is, anywhere in Europe.
Since 2018, COYOTE has been developing Coyote Secure, a solution which relies on IoT trackers to enable the recovery of stolen vehicles as quickly as possible.
Currently, about 3.5 million vehicles are stolen every year worldwide, including 700,000 in Europe. In 2020, 121,500 vehicles were stolen in France, which represents an average of one vehicle theft every four minutes1. The value of stolen vehicles in France alone is estimated to be around €1 billion. Yet, in France, 80% of stolen vehicles were equipped with an anti-theft device, according to the I.C.A. Club2.
Unfortunately, when owners realize their vehicle is missing, it is often too late, as only 54% of households whose car was stolen eventually recover it, compared to 39% of households whose two-wheeler (motorbike/scooter) was stolen, according to the French Ministry of the Interior3. The recovery process can be very long and gives thieves enough time to dismantle stolen vehicles or export them to the other side of the world. It is in this context that the Coyote Secure solution is essential.
A long-lasting, long-range and cost-effective solution
In 2017, COYOTE acquired Traqueur®, then the leader in tracking and post-theft recovery solutions in France, to launch the Coyote Secure solution the following year, which is the most effective stolen vehicle recovery service on the market. Thanks to this service, the company is able to recover 91% of vehicles in less than 48 hours. To guarantee this level of success, the trackers integrate the patented Traqueur® technology which has benefitted from a compatibility with the Sigfox 0G network since 2015. The tracker is autonomous and resistant to jamming, and hidden in customers’ vehicles.
One of the major advantages of the trackers is that they do not require a connection to the vehicle’s central control, which makes them much more difficult to detect during theft. The fact that they rely on an IoT network, instead of a cellular, GPS or Bluetooth network, also prevents the use of jammers and makes it possible to keep track of the vehicle even when it is hidden in a container, a box or buried underground. This is crucial when you know that 43% of stolen vehicles are hidden in closed or underground places. In fact, in France, the burial of just-stolen vehicles more than doubled between 2017 and 2020.
The Sigfox network, which offers high-quality coverage throughout France as well as international reach in more than 70 countries, makes it possible to send and retrieve small packets of information, including in areas with very weak signals, or where there is no coverage at all. A feature of this network is that IoT device operating on it require very little energy, which allows the tracker to be both very small and autonomous for years. The battery consumption of an IoT device can also be accurately calculated and monitored – this critical information reduces maintenance costs and replacement of the device when it may not be necessary.
Today, thanks to the IoT network, which enables geolocation based on network triangulation and can give an estimate between 1 – 5 km of the location of an equipped vehicle, data and positions are regularly received from the trackers, which, as soon as a theft is reported, go into “recovery mode.” This means that the network will make an estimate of the vehicle’s location with each message received, allowing the company to send its closest team directly into the field to locate the vehicle precisely where more “traditional” technologies do not work. Therefore, even if a jammer tries to block the signal, COYOTE can locate the area where the vehicle is hidden.
Once the position has been received, a team of in-house detectives are mobilized to carry out the final stages of the search. These detectives have access to the approximate position of the vehicle when it is buried. They are deployed in the field to find its exact location and recover the vehicle in partnership with the police. This unique model, combining technology and a 24/7 field team, allows the French company to be particularly responsive and efficient.
The tracking tools used by the in-house detectives have also evolved considerably since the beginning of this partnership with Sigfox, as they were initially very heavy and easy to find, which could put the detectives in danger. Today, they benefit from miniaturized tools that offer better localization and the same levels of service, while reducing operating costs by nearly two-thirds.
An offer based on strong partnership
Sigfox works closely with R&D teams as part of a constant process of innovation and is helping to make COYOTE the benchmark in post-flight recovery.
In the coming years, the firm aims to capitalize on its strategic partnerships and its vehicle recovery service, which already accounts for 30% of its revenue. Combining technologies and expertise will only strengthen its leadership and continue to create ever more innovative and affordable solutions for the connected services and driver assistance market.
Key figures:
- 300,000: number of vehicles equipped with the Coyote Secure solution
- 4 years: average lifespan of the beacons
