Thieves targeting copper cables in EV charging stations
(ZEROHEDGE) – Over the past 12 months, thieves in the Seattle metro area have stolen over 100 electric vehicle charging cables, driven mostly by soaring copper scrap prices. This is incredibly frustrating for EV owners who arrive at these charging stations only to find severed cords and unable to charge.
"It's a serious and frustrating problem around Seattle," said resident Elaine Wong, who entirely relies on public charging stations. In one year, Electrify America reported that 93 cables had been cut across its charging network in Washington.
Wong pointed out that she had not been to an Electrify America station in months. Some EV owners on the social media platform Nextdoor have complained they have had to travel as far north as Everett to find a working station. "Cable theft from public chargers has been an issue in this area for over a decade, but has reached epidemic proportions in the last couple of years," said Jay Donnaway, president of the Seattle EV Association.