This is the major element, yes. Currently you are able to use an untraceable vehicle and travel between cities or states without a tracking device like a phone. That makes you a threat.

I predict that as long as the current establishment holds power, they will continue en route to banning gasoline vehicles and anything that is not connected to the internet. That is one reason for the large push for "electric cars" recently. That also means you can monitor where and when a car refuels, and easily prevent somebody from operating their vehicle through software remotely.