Hack it to drive it: Tesla to give away Model 3 as prize at popular hacking contest

American electric car maker Tesla has been in troubled waters recently due to backlashes faced by their Model 3 electric car. But the pioneer in electric car technology is not an easy bait, and will fight its competitors, among which are:

Tesla introduced the executive luxury sedan Model 3 to the world in 2017. Two years after having a successful run in the market, the car is now ready to be 'stolen'.

No, we do not mean illegally stealing the car by breaking into the showroom, but by trying to hack and win it.

Pwn2Own is a 12-year-old annual fest, where ethical hackers and cybersecurity experts pitch in to win the big prize: The most technologically advanced gadget of that year. After beginning with an Apple Macintosh laptop in 2007, Pwn2Own has progressed after 12 years, to put up the Model 3 as the grand prize.

For the contestants to win the lavish car, all they have to do is enter the mainframe or the sub-frame of the car’s computer, access or search for certain flaws, if any, and exploit them.

Spread through three days, the competition has different rules for each day, each laxer than the last. Though this is a common and effective way for software companies to discover their flaws and shortcomings, it is a first for the automotive sector.

The Tesla Model 3 is an all-electric four-door sedan with a 50-kWh battery and can go up to 350 km on a single charge. A more significant 75-kWh battery option is also available, which can pull the car an additional 150 km.