EV charging stations hit by cable-cutting crooks

Just before 2 a.m. on a chilly April night in Seattle, a Chevrolet Silverado pickup stopped at an electric vehicle charging station on the edge of a shopping center parking lot. Two men, one with a light strapped to his head, got out.

A security camera recorded them pulling out bolt cutters. One man snipped several charging cables; the other loaded them into the truck. In under 2½ minutes, they were gone.

Over the past twelve months, thieves in the Seattle metro area have stolen over 100 electric vehicle charging cables.

That scene has become part of a troubling nationwide pattern: Thieves have been targeting EV charging stations, intent on stealing the cables that contain copper wiring. The price of copper is near a record high on global markets and can fetch from $2 to $5 per pound from recyclers.

The stolen cables often disable entire stations, forcing EV owners to search desperately for a working charger.

This adds to the anxiety EV owners and would-be owners already feel about the scarcity of charging stations. Bad news for U.S. automakers who want more drivers to go electric.

Over the past 12 months, thieves in the Seattle metro area have stolen over 100 electric vehicle charging cables. It's just as bad in Los Angeles, where copper wire theft from street lights and rail lines has been a growing problem for years. Pilfered charging cables now add to a haul that has cost taxpayers some $17 million over the last few years.

States, including Michigan; Nevada; Arizona; Colorado; Illinois; Oregon; Tennessee; Texas; and Pennsylvania, have also started to feel the pinch.

Charging companies say the copper in the cables is difficult to extract (thieves often just burn off the insulation) and there isn't much of it anyway — maybe $15 to $20 worth per cable. These numbers don't seem to have deterred the cable cutters. After all, swipe just 20 cables, and you're up $300 to $400.

Charging companies like Electrify America are fighting back by installing more security cameras. Consumers, meanwhile, may find this just another reason to stick with the security of gas-powered vehicles.