Photo: MotorWeek on YouTube
Make sure you park somewhere safe when your electric vehicle needs recharging. A recent report shows thieves are after EV supply equipment now. More specifically, they are cutting the thick charging cables to pull out all the copper from them. Here’s what’s happening and what area has been most hit recently.
Thieves almost always know where to go for some easy money. Their latest idea is to cut EV charging cables and remove all the copper from them. Unfortunately, they do not care if cars are plugged in or not. In some recently reported cases, they stripped the metal out right on the property and left the rest behind.
Nevada appears to be the first state that has to deal with a large number of criminals that want to make a quick buck by leaving EV owners without a place to charge. With scrap copper selling at about $2.5 a pound and bad monitoring at most EV charging spots, it’s no surprise nefarious people are trying to illegally get their hands on one of the most important metals for an all-electric future.
Recyclers most likely don’t ask where they got the copper from, so it’s an easy way for thieves to get their hands on some extra money. Considering theft is often done for a lot less than what criminals can get for what’s inside a charging cable, it’s no wonder that EV owners now have to deal with another issue.
According to Vice, thieves have been eyeing the Reno area lately. But this bad habit isn’t completely new. It has happened before in other states like California.
Fast chargers need thick cables because they must allow electrons to travel in large amounts for a minimized charging time. Copper is a highly conductive material that’s also durable and malleable. It’s been used for ages in our electrical grid infrastructure, and it has proven its worth. That’s one of the reasons why its price has risen constantly in the last three years.
If you don’t want to risk damage being done to your car, then make sure you pick a charging station that has video surveillance or, even better, proper security. Another good idea would be to not leave your car alone at night in an EV charging place.
Fortunately, there's also an anti-theft solution coming soon, but it will take time before it's implemented everywhere.
Nevada appears to be the first state that has to deal with a large number of criminals that want to make a quick buck by leaving EV owners without a place to charge. With scrap copper selling at about $2.5 a pound and bad monitoring at most EV charging spots, it’s no surprise nefarious people are trying to illegally get their hands on one of the most important metals for an all-electric future.
Recyclers most likely don’t ask where they got the copper from, so it’s an easy way for thieves to get their hands on some extra money. Considering theft is often done for a lot less than what criminals can get for what’s inside a charging cable, it’s no wonder that EV owners now have to deal with another issue.
According to Vice, thieves have been eyeing the Reno area lately. But this bad habit isn’t completely new. It has happened before in other states like California.
Fast chargers need thick cables because they must allow electrons to travel in large amounts for a minimized charging time. Copper is a highly conductive material that’s also durable and malleable. It’s been used for ages in our electrical grid infrastructure, and it has proven its worth. That’s one of the reasons why its price has risen constantly in the last three years.
If you don’t want to risk damage being done to your car, then make sure you pick a charging station that has video surveillance or, even better, proper security. Another good idea would be to not leave your car alone at night in an EV charging place.
Fortunately, there's also an anti-theft solution coming soon, but it will take time before it's implemented everywhere.
Google News