Vandals Stole Copper Cables From Charging Stations
Thefts of copper wiring from electric vehicle chargers spiked across the United States throughout 2024.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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Charging station vandalism surged in 2024 as thieves targeted electric vehicle infrastructure for the copper contained within the cords. Nearly one in five public charging attempts failed during the year, with a significant portion of these outages attributed to severed or missing cables.
Why it matters
The rise in copper theft has disrupted access for electric vehicle drivers and created substantial financial burdens for network operators. Rising copper prices have turned charging cables into lucrative targets for criminals, complicating the reliability of the national charging network.
A Level 2 charging cable contains about 5 pounds of copper, valued at approximately 21 USD in raw materials. Replacing these cables costs network operators up to 700 USD for Level 2 units and 4,000 USD for fast-charging conduits.
The players
Electrify America
This company manages approximately 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations across North America.
EVgo Inc.
This network operates nearly 1,000 public charging stations throughout the United States.
The details
Thieves frequently use hacksaws to sever the cables, and some perpetrators have impersonated utility workers to carry out the thefts. These incidents account for roughly 10% of all failed public charging sessions in the country.
Timeline
Copper prices reached their low point in early 2020.
Electrify America recorded 79 cable thefts during 2023.
The company reported 215 cable thefts during 2024.
Roadmap
The theft of charging cables represents a significant setback for the electric vehicle industry by undermining the public reliability of charging infrastructure. This trend forces major charging networks to invest heavily in enhanced physical security rather than solely focusing on the expansion of their charging footprints.
Drivers may experience increased service outages at public charging stations as networks work to repair or replace stolen equipment. These thefts also contribute to higher maintenance costs for providers, which could eventually influence the pricing of charging services for the average user.
The takeaway
Reliable access to public charging remains at risk as long as charging cables contain easily tradable copper commodities. Drivers should verify the availability of a charging station through provider apps before traveling to ensure the site has not been disabled by recent theft.
Further reading
Learn more about the challenges facing the national infrastructure in our Electric Vehicles section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by DSF.
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