ChargePoint Cut-Resistant EV Charging Cables Fight Theft ProblemChargePoint Cut-Resistant EV Charging Cables Fight Theft Problem

An explosion in the incidence of theft of the cables EV drivers use to plug their cars into public charging stations drives the need for countermeasures.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

January 17, 2025

3 Min Read
The ChargePoint Protect alarm detects an attempt to cut the charging station's cable.
The ChargePoint Protect alarm detects an attempt to cut the charging station's cable.ChargePoint

At a Glance

  • Incidences of the theft of charging cables for their copper are increasing.
  • ChargePoint has developed a cut-resistant cable that it says is still easy for drivers to wrangle.
  • ChargePoint Protect is an over-the-air security update that provides an alarm for the company's chargers.

The value of the copper contained in the cables that EVs use to plug into public charging stations is about $40, and that is apparently driving a spike in theft of those cables. The public charging network has enough problems meeting EV drivers’ demands without them also being vandalized by thieves, so charging station manufacturer and charging network operator ChargePoint his introduced a theft-resistant cable for chargers.

Rival charging network Electrify America has experienced a huge increase in cable thefts, the company’s vice president of operations, Anthony Lambkin told the Associated Press in June, 2024. Charging stations in Electrify America’s network might have experienced a single cable theft every six months in 2022, he said. In 2023, that number ballooned to 125 for the year and the vandals topped that number during the first half of 2024 alone.

Armor Up

 In response to this problem, ChargePoint developed two solutions to combat charger vandalism; a new cut-resistant charging cable and an alarm system designed to increase charging station security.

Thieves typically snip the cables off using bolt cutters, a process that takes only seconds. Armoring the cable against this is an obvious solution, but doing so risks making the unwieldy cables even more difficult for drivers to wrangle. 

Related:ChargePoint Tackles Charger Plug Uncertainty

ChargePoint says that its new cut-resistant charging cables deter theft and vandalism using novel cut-resistant materials built into the cable that make the cable more difficult for crooks to cut while remaining flexible and easy for drivers to comfortably maneuver while in use.

The company plans to make these new cut-resistant cables available for all of its commercial and fleet charging stations. Additionally, recognizing the “broken window” policing theory that crime breeds crime, ChargePoint will selectively license this cable’s design to rival charging network operators in a bid to dampen the frequency of theft of cables from any charging stations. ChargePoint said that it expects the cut-resistant cables to be available for license by the middle of 2025.

Charging cables need to be replaced at regular intervals anyway to ensure reliability. Additionally, many charging stations will replace their existing cables using SAE CCS-style plugs with new ones that have Tesla-style North American Charging System connectors, so they can swap in the armored cables as part of planned maintenance.

Alarming Development

The company also announced the ChargePoint Project alarm to spook vandals. The system employs the ChargePoint charger’s existing speaker, display screen, and lighting system to create an attention-getting alarm system. The system detects cable tampering in real time and activates the alarm system with the aim of scaring off thieves. ChargePoint customers can add this capability to their charging stations through an over-the-air update.

Related:ChargePoint Is Supporting Both CCS and NACS Charging During the Transition

ChargePoint Protect will also send SMS or email notifications to charging station operators in the event the system’s alarm is triggered, so they can call the cops right away. This download will be available this month.

“ChargePoint Protect and our cut-resistant cables demonstrate our relentless dedication to offering a dependable charging network. 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 hinderence to EV adoption.”

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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