Catalytic Converter Theft

WHAT THE HECK CALIFORNIA?!

Video: What a Hybrid sounds like before and after catalytic converter theft.

Let's start with a bit of information about WHY catalytic converters are such a hot-ticket item at the moment. California is one of four states that require C.A.R.B.-compliant catalytic converters. C.A.R.B. = California Air Resources Board. Table below from https://www.walkerexhaust.com/

STATE	VEHICLES AFFECTED	DATE STARTED
CALIFORNIA	ALL MODEL YEARS	January 1st, 2009
NEW YORK	1993, 1994, 1996 MODEL YEARS AND NEWER VEHICLES	June 1st, 2013
MAINE	2001 MODEL YEARS AND NEWER VEHICLES	June 1st, 2018
COLORADO	ALL MODEL YEARS	January 1st, 2021

Catalytic converters are designed to take the nasty exhaust fumes that our engines generate (nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide) and react to create not-so-harmful: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water.

This reaction is done with a honeycomb-like structure that is coated with rare metals including rhodium, palladium, and platinum. Photo from https://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/

The price of previous metals in the last 5 years has skyrocketed. Prices below are recorded in USD, per ounce, on the New York Stock Exchange.

DECEMBER 2016	DECEMBER 2021
​Gold: $1,128 Rhodium: $14,100 Platinum: $902 Palladium: $653	​Gold: $1,809 Rhodium: $12,950 Platinum: $971 Palladium: $1,886