Thieves have cut and stolen cables from a number of high-power EV charging stations in the Bradford area as this most modern of crimes continues unabated despite chargepoint operators’ best efforts to stem it.
At least 22 cables have been stolen in the area over the last week, as thieves targeted the leads for the copper they contain.
Eight cables from four Instavolt chargers at the Quora Retail Park were hacked away and made off with, while four cables from another Instavolt site in Odsal Top were stolen, as were six leads from chargers run by the same firm at Rooley Lane.
Zest chargers were also targeted, with the firm telling The Telegraph and Argus, which originally reported the attacks, that the four leads stolen from its Legrams Lane station were replaced within 24 hours. One motorist who asked to remain anonymous told the paper that given the proximity and timing of the incidents, they believed the attacks were “coordinated”.
The scrap value of the copper contained in a single charging lead stands at just £25 or so, which has seen a spate of incidents as thieves take angle grinders to the cables before making off with them, often under cover of darkness.
But while the value of the copper is minimal, firms can spend up to £1,000 replacing a single lead, while motorists are left with a diminished public network.
Chargepoint operators are implementing all manner of measures to dissuade thieves from making off with cables, with Instavolt installing GPS trackers and fitting them with armoured covers, while also calling for chargers to be classified as critical infrastructure.
Be.EV, meanwhile, has partnered with local police, while Allego previously conducted Freedom of Information requests to chart the scale of the issue.
