ChargePoint combats thieves with new cut-resistant cables, alarm system
For those who own and operate electric vehicles, finding a public charger can be a hassle. Now they have one more concern to contend with: EV charging stations have also become a target for vandalism and thievery. AP News reported that charger providers such as Electrify America, Flo, and EVgo have all experienced an increase in charging station thefts, with vandals cutting off charging station cables before fleeing. The thieves then sell the copper for some quick cash.
“There are likely multiple motivating factors behind EV charger cable theft, but we believe that overestimated economic gains from reselling the raw metals (particularly copper) they are built with is by far the main one,” said Andrew Gosselin, director of corporate communications at ChargePoint, an EV network charging provider.
To combat this issue, ChargePoint is now offering cut-resistant charging cables as well as ChargePoint Protect, both of which the company designed in house.
Read more: ChargePoint invests in EV charging infrastructure to improve uptime
“We do not view ourselves as victims of vandalism, but rather responsible for solving it, not only for our customers but for the industry,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “We are sharing the technology to combat vandalism in the most aggressive way possible with the aim to eliminate charger reliability as a hinderance to EV adoption.”
The cut-resistant charging cables incorporate steel elements to help make them more difficult to cut while still remaining flexible for drivers to maneuver. Gosselin noted that ChargePoint’s R&D team tested the cables against items such as wire cutters, bolt cutters, and battery-powered tools to ensure that their modifications would increase both the time and efforts thieves spent trying to cut their cables. Now, the company is making their cut-resistant cables available for all commercial and fleet charging stations, as well as selectively licensing the design for other charger manufacturers to use. The license should be ready by the middle of 2025, ChargePoint stated in a press release.
Alongside the company’s cut-resistant cables, ChargePoint Protect is a charger alarm system that integrates with ChargePoint chargers’ existing speakers, screens, and lighting system. The solution can detect when someone is tampering with a charging cable in real time, the company said, and will automatically engage the alarm to deter vandals. Additionally, the system can text or email users a notification if the alarm is triggered. But fleets don’t need to activate ChargePoint Protect on every charger, as it can be activated on select charging station models at no additional cost via a cloud-based software upgrade.
