Electric Car Owners Shocked: Charging Cables Now More Popular Than iPhones Among Thieves

Electric Car Owners Shocked: Charging Cables Now More Popular Than iPhones Among Thieves

3 minute read
Published: 6/13/2024

Electric vehicle (EV) owners across the United States are finding themselves unexpectedly unplugged, but not because they forgot to charge their cars. Instead, EV charging cable thefts have seen a shocking rise, leaving owners stranded and perplexed. As copper prices soar, these seemingly mundane cables have become more sought after than the latest iPhones. Thieves, lured by the quick profit, are ripping them out of charging stations at an alarming rate (Fox News).

The motivation behind these thefts is pretty straightforward. Thieves target EV charging stations to steal cables containing copper wiring, which they then sell. Given that the price of copper is near a record high, it’s like striking gold for those with sticky fingers (New York Post). In their wake, they leave entire charging stations disabled, causing EV owners not just mild inconvenience but significant disruptions.

All this cable-napping couldn’t come at a worse time. Automakers are on a mission to push EV adoption, but now they must also deal with this unexpected security issue. Besides the theft, about 4 in 10 U.S. adults still believe that EVs take too long to charge or don’t know of any charging stations nearby (Fox News). Now, the concern extends to whether there’ll be a functioning charging cable when they finally find a station.

Automakers have ambitious goals: Stellantis aims for 50% EV passenger cars by 2030, Ford is shooting for 2 million EVs annually by 2026, and General Motors plans to sell only EV passenger cars by 2035 (Fox News). But with cable thieves on the loose, selling EVs might require a lot more than cool commercials and snazzy features.

The rise in cable thefts has led to a significant rise in reported incidents from companies like Electrify America (New York Post). States like Washington, Nevada, California, Arizona, and Texas have all reported an uptick in these peculiar crimes. In response, charging companies are installing more security cameras and coordinating with police to visit recycling centers, hoping to identify and catch the culprits (Fox News).

Seattle police, for instance, are investigating multiple cases of cable thefts from charging stations. Authorities believe the high resale value of copper in these cables is the primary lure for thieves (New York Post). Leading charging networks like EVgo have also reported a rise in cable thefts, particularly in the Seattle area, summoning images of cable burglars lurking in the city’s foggy nights.

While EV owners once worried about mundane issues like charging station availability or charge times, they now have to contend with potential cable thefts. It’s like a new chapter of Murphy’s Law specifically written for them. As thieves continue to target these valuable assets, it becomes a race against time for automakers and charging companies to adapt and secure the future of electric transportation.

Given the lofty goals set by industry giants, they can’t afford to let cable thefts make EV drivers feel like they've stepped into an episode of CSI: Electro Crime Scene Investigation. Hopefully, they’ll find a way to keep the juice flowing—and keep those cables intact—so that EV owners don’t feel left out in the cold, or worse, the dark (Fox News).

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