Stealing EV charging cables - a growing trend

[SwampNut]

No worries about people doing that.

Well, sometimes the crackheads do cut live cables with the expected, and desirable results...

Whether you'd giggle at finding a crispy thief next to your car or be horrified is left to the beholder.

Sponsored

 

[Ogre]

Well, sometimes the crackheads do cut live cables with the expected, and desirable results...

Whether you'd giggle at finding a crispy thief next to your car or be horrified is left to the beholder.

No worried about people doing that…. Twice.

 

[HaulingAss]

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.

Oh, it's not limited to EV's. In fact, EV's avoid the danger presented when your ICE car has a catalytic converter filled with precious metals. And, while they have your car jacked up for access to the catalytic converter they will probably take your even more expensive wheels and tires. Anti-theft lug nuts won't stop them because they have toolkits full of anti-theft sockets.

I recommend avoiding ICE cars due to the catalytic converter problem. And that's not even to mention the gas at over $5.00/gallon in some areas. All they need is a sharp screwdriver to pierce the tank. With the car jacked up they can fill 5 gallon jugs with the precious liquid faster than you can dial 911. When they have stolen everything from you, you will be homeless. It's a huge problem.

The good news is that sales and production of EV chargers are roughly doubling every year and accelerating, while thieves stealing EV chargers are only growing at 10% annually, even with regular recruiting efforts by organizations such as Association of American Thieves and Cat Burglars United. It turns out most thieves don't want to work that hard as there are easier ways to make a living and alternative methods won't leave you with a criminal record or in danger of being shot dead by an angry motorist. Plus, most of them you don't even have to get dirty or break a sweat.

The best way to combat the growth of EV charger thieves is to hire them to install EV chargers, a job with unlimited growth potential! This has the added advantage of creating a record of legitimate income so they can get a loan and buy a car or a place to live. Until that happens, these industrious thieves are just like a small tax on all of us because it makes our homeowners insurance premiums go up.

But some people like to present this as a road block to EV adoption just like catalytic thefts stopped ICE adoption in it's tracks. Errr... wait....

 

[TruckElectric]

The best way to combat the growth of EV charger thieves is to hire them to install EV chargers, a job with unlimited growth potential!

If you hire a thief they will eventually steal from you.

This has the added advantage of creating a record of legitimate income so they can get a loan and buy a car or a place to live.

Most thieves have cars. They use money from theft to buy them. They steal cars for criminal activity, rarely use their own.

And most have a place to live.

Until that happens, these industrious thieves are just like a small tax on all of us because it makes our homeowners insurance premiums go up.

It will never happen. Have you been living under rock your whole life?

Public EV charging station cable thefts will not make your homeowners insurance premiums go up.

It will increase the cost of charging while traveling though.

 

[Ogre]

If you hire a thief they will eventually steal from you.



Most thieves have cars. They use money form theft to buy them. They steal cars for criminal activity, rarely use their own.

And most have a place to live.


It will never happen. Have you been living under rock your whole life?

Public EV charging station cable thefts will not make your homeowners insurance premiums go up.

It will increase the cost of charging while traveling though.

I’m pretty sure stealing copper from EV chargers is not “Buy a Car” kind of money. It’s more along the lines of “Get my next Fix” sort of money.

This is bottom of the barrel crime. Assuming these guys have a car is a stretch.

 

[TruckElectric]

I’m pretty sure stealing copper from EV chargers is not “Buy a Car” kind of money

I'm pretty sure copper theft is not their only criminal activity.

It’s more along the lines of “Get my next Fix” sort of money.

It can be, sure. But not always.

This is bottom of the barrel crime.

It's quick and easy. Not sure where you this "bottom of the barrel crime" from.

Assuming these guys have a car is a stretch.

You are as naive as they come. And so is HaulingAss.

Criminals can spot you a mile away and make for easy targets.

 

[Red61224]

Well, sometimes the crackheads do cut live cables with the expected, and desirable results...

Whether you'd giggle at finding a crispy thief next to your car or be horrified is left to the beholder.

Brings up a memory of my uncle who was a commercial electrical contactor in El Paso, Texas for many years. They were working on installing a new lighting system along the interstate and had problems with people stealing the wire in the "cold" system before it was energized. When they had the system all complete they left the bulbs disconnected in a few areas but the poles were "HOT". It was funny seeing those cute arc marks the next day when they came into "complete" the job. And the wire theft problem suddenly came to an end.

 

[Ogre]

I'm pretty sure copper theft is not their only criminal activity.



It can be, sure. But not always.



It's quick and easy. Not sure where you this "bottom of the barrel crime" from.



You are as naive as they come. And so is HaulingAss.

Criminals can spot you a mile away and make for easy targets.

Criminals who end up destroying things worth $1000s and selling them for pennies are stupid. It’s high risk because getting caught means you are on the hook for destroying an expensive thing. The reward is crap risk is high.

You can make more money stealing shampoo from convenience stores or syphoning gas and not be on the hook for $20k worth of damage.

I’m not sure where you get the idea of cable thieves being the best and the brightest driving around in cars bought with their ill gotten goods, but it just ain’t so.

PS: There is no dental plan either.

 

[TruckElectric]

Most criminals who end up destroying things worth $1000s and selling them for pennies are stupid. It’s high risk because getting caught means you are on the hook for destroying an expensive thing.

On the hook, really? Rarely.

You can make more money stealing shampoo from convenience stores or syphoning gas and not be on the hook for $20k worth of damage.

I'll say it one more time for reading impaired. Copper theft is not their only criminal/theft activity.

I’m not sure where you get the idea of cable thieves being the best and the brightest driving around in cars bought with their ill gotten goods, but it just ain’t so.

Yes it is. Not all criminals get caught, by the way. Best and brightest? No. Like everything else there is a hierarchy among criminals. If you ever come across someone who has dealt with criminals for very long just ask them.


Just one anecdote, I've got plenty though.

Knew a guy yrs ago told me of a coworker thief. Had a great paying job with good bennies(House and car too). Sold some stolen chainsaws from Walmart at his work. Pretty sure he never got caught for that. Then later went to prison for stealing a trailer loaded with valuables worth thousands.

 

[Ogre]

Yes it is. Not all criminals get caught, by the way.

Most crimes go unsolved.

Most criminals who do stupid things like stealing cables get caught eventually.

 

[HaulingAss]

If you hire a thief they will eventually steal from you.



Most thieves have cars. They use money from theft to buy them. They steal cars for criminal activity, rarely use their own.

And most have a place to live.


It will never happen. Have you been living under rock your whole life?

Public EV charging station cable thefts will not make your homeowners insurance premiums go up.

It will increase the cost of charging while traveling though.

I guess your sarcasm detector must have been stolen for you to respond to the obviously tongue-in-cheek suggestions, like we should solve the theft problem by hiring thieves.

My overall point was that stealing/petty theft is an old crime - it even happens amongst most animal species and EV's change nothing. Car theft, gasoline theft, wheel theft, catalytic converter theft, so what? Petty theft is a miserable crime committed by miserable people who will never get ahead in life. It's not something that consumes my life worrying about it.

The solution is obvious, take normal anti-theft measures and don't let your worry about it consume an inordinate amount of time and resources.

 

[HaulingAss]

Most criminals who do stupid things like stealing cables get caught eventually multiple times.

I fixed that for you.

 

[TruckElectric]

My overall point was that stealing/petty theft is an old crime - it even happens amongst most animal species and EV's change nothing. Car theft, gasoline theft, wheel theft, catalytic converter theft, so what? Petty theft is a miserable crime committed by miserable people who will never get ahead in life. It's not something that consumes my life worrying about it.

Ok. My point is that because there is not nearly enough EV charging stations and that it is a more of a concern than what it normally would be.

I also think there are people that for some odd/strange reason despise EV's and actually enjoy the destruction of EV charging stations.

 

[Red61224]

Ok. My point is that because there is not nearly enough EV charging stations and that it is a more of a concern than what it normally would be.

I also think there are people that for some odd/strange reason despise EV's and actually enjoy the destruction of EV charging stations.

Sad to say but yes that mentality is out there, guess they are afraid it's gonna take away their manhood or something worse. I've seen pictures of connector cable ends smashed from pure vandalism. What people don't understand they are afraid of and this is the result.

 

[HaulingAss]

Ok. My point is that because there is not nearly enough EV charging stations and that it is a more of a concern than what it normally would be.

I also think there are people that for some odd/strange reason despise EV's and actually enjoy the destruction of EV charging stations.

Is that why the ICE haters cut off the catalytic converters from exhaust systems? Maybe you should just come to terms with the fact that copper is valuable and cables are cut for the scrap value. Just like catalytic converters are sometimes cut off for the value of their platinum or palladium.

Sponsored