May 23, 2022—Charging cables for electric vehicles have become a target for thievery.
According to Kelley Blue Book, these chargers are made with copper wire, similarly to catalytic converters. This makes them a hot ticket item for thieves.
Using a heavy duty cable cutter, thieves can grab the cable and turn it into cash at a scrap metal yard.
EV automaker Tesla has a firmware update feature in its Generation 3 at-home chargers that makes the charging unit unusable by vehicles other than the owner's, even if if the other vehicle is a Tesla.
Security measures such as these are helpful in preventing theft of the valuable material, as well as an investment in pad locks, aftermarket locking devices and even keeping the charging cable away and out of sight when not in use.
Regardless of the security approach, the interest in EV charging cables is worthy of note, especially as the struggle over other automotive part theft such as catalytic converters also continues.
