Stealing EV charging cables - a growing trend

[Zapharus]

1. All Tesla Supercharger should have dedicated cameras at each location.
Tesla should have done this from the start. These thefts and other incidents (icing and attacks on Tesla drivers) was entirely predictable.

2. Change chargers to 800V which uses cables with less copper.

3. Apple Air tags, RFID or other tracking devices in each cable.

4. TeslaChargeBot ( uses wheels Not humanoid type TeslaBot) mobile robot
- special design just for charging task
- mobile security ( patrol area. Detect loiters or stalkers hiding in area )
- plug/unplug charging cable to car
- drivers/owners no longer need to get out of car (safer from muggers)
- has a couple of industry standard adapters for non-Tesla EVs

This ridiculous misconception that cameras are a deterrent to crime needs to stop. If there’s no vehicle in sight for the camera to hopefully capture a license plate there’s little law enforcement can do. Most cameras don’t have facial recognition and even if they did, face coverings are very commonplace nowadays.

Cameras mostly result in a placebo effect for victims of crime. Sometimes we get lucky and if the footage is released to the press someone might recognize the perpetrators and report them. But every cable theft footage will not result in a news story.

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[Ogre]

This ridiculous misconception that cameras are a deterrent to crime needs to stop. If there’s no vehicle in sight for the camera to hopefully capture a license plate there’s little law enforcement can do. Most cameras don’t have facial recognition and even if they did, face coverings are very commonplace nowadays.

Cameras mostly result in a placebo effect for victims of crime. Sometimes we get lucky and if the footage is released to the press someone might recognize the perpetrators and report them. But every cable theft footage will not result in a news story.

The placebo effect works. Lots of documentation on this.

Cameras also work under some circumstances. For example there have been a fair number of vandals and hit-and-run drivers who have been caught by Sentry Mode and Tesla’s cameras.

Also, CCTV is used to solve a *lot* of crime. It isn’t 100%, but a big/ obvious example is the Jan 6th Capital insurgency prosecutions have relied on it.

 

[TruckElectric]

It isn’t 100%, but a big/ obvious example is the Jan 6th Capital insurgency prosecutions have relied on it.

Nice try GOOFBALL! NO POLITICS!

 

[Zabhawkin]

Cameras are not a fix all but they do work often enough. The cameras on my house have worked twice for two different neighbors. (my cameras caught thieves at their houses).

In my area many of the metal scrap yards are corrupt anyways. If they think your wire is stolen they offer much less for it and they make some serious money doing it. They do get caught from time to time.

The one who stole wire from the sub-station, I can believe the sentence on that one, he took out the power, and left an extremely hazardous situation as well as plowing out some equipment.

A combination of cameras, vandal resistance, and alarms (detect when cables are being cut/vandalized etc) should cut it down quite a bit, as well as often better choice of locations.

Don't even pull a gun, unless they are threatening you and you cant flee. Its a good way to get yourself in trouble, and the person stealing copper probably won't even get charged because you stopped them from committing the crime.

 

[Ogre]

Nice try GOOFBALL! NO POLITICS!

Politics is whether or not you agree with them.

Stating that cameras were used in identifying the people involved is not politics, its a simple fact.

Oklahoma city bomber was also caught via CCTV. Was also used in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Chasing down CCTV is one of the first things detectives do now when there is a crime. Exceptionally valuable for proving guilt.

 

[SwampNut]

Cameras didn't seem to do as much for all the BLM riots as it did for the capitol protestors. Huh.

Oh yeah, it's bait for sure, take it.

 

[Ogre]

Cameras didn't seem to do as much for all the BLM riots as it did for the capitol protestors. Huh.

Oh yeah, it's bait for sure, take it.

Don’t be silly.

Video evidence was used to convict people who participated in BLM protests as well.

It’s pretty much part of every investigation.

 

[SwampNut]

Don’t be silly.

I wasn't, and I stand by my exact words. "As much." I believe there was a difference in chosen prosecution. In my hood, if we give the police video evidence, they will pursue it aggressively. We have crime like Mayberry had crime. In south Phoenix, a friend gave TWO videos of the same people stealing multiple cats, ZERO followup. They have different priorities.

Mostly if we see a neighborhood kid acting up the parents get shown the video for direct "prosecution."

 

[Ogre]

I wasn't, and I stand by my exact words. "As much." I believe there was a difference in chosen prosecution. In my hood, if we give the police video evidence, they will pursue it aggressively. We have crime like Mayberry had crime. In south Phoenix, a friend gave TWO videos of the same people stealing multiple cats, ZERO followup. They have different priorities.

Mostly if we see a neighborhood kid acting up the parents get shown the video for direct "prosecution."

Can we not be so thin skinned? Like a bunch of damned snow flakes.


What you are chasing has nothing to do with the point.

 

[SwampNut]

It very much does. Police enforcement varies and in my experience video does very little.

And I used to run a company making and selling video to government!

 

[TruckElectric]

A combination of cameras, vandal resistance, and alarms (detect when cables are being cut/vandalized etc) should cut it down quite a bit

This will add extra cost which will trickle down to the consumer/user of EV chargers.

It's getting more and more expensive to own EV's.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

EV charging cable could be the next “cat converter” of personal vehicles.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

My neighbor collects scrap copper instead of empty aluminum soda cans. Copper may fetch four bucks a pound, while empty cans only fetch $1.60 a pound in Hawaii.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

Looks like instead of plugging in your EV, then walking to a fast food restaurant, it will have to be the other way around. Drive to buy your food at a restaurant, then drive to the charging station and sitting in your EV while dining.

 

[Ogre]

Looks like instead of plugging in your EV, then walking to a fast food restaurant, it will have to be the other way around. Drive to buy your food at a restaurant, then drive to the charging station and sitting in your EV while dining.

They are stealing the cables when nobody is parked there.

It would be quite dangerous to cut these cables while they are in use. No worries about people doing that.

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