ChargePoint is tired of vandalizing thieves who saw through electric vehicle charger cables to steal valuable copper. That’s why the company is now making new “cut-resistant” cables and adding alarm systems to try to mitigate the damage.
Steve Farrell, Vice President of Product Management at ChargePoint, explains The edge The cable uses patent-pending technology that includes strategically placed steel to provide protection. Although the design may make the cables a bit larger and less flexible, Farrell wrote that usability will not be affected and that most users “won’t notice the difference” with the changes. The new cable can be retrofitted to commercial and fleet charging stations (AC and DC models) manufactured by the company.
Farrell also says the cables were tested against “commonly used devices” including wire cutters, bolt cutters and battery-powered tools. ChargePoint was “pleased with its ability to significantly increase the time, effort and resources (i.e. tools) required to cut cables.”
ChargePoint plans to license the new cable design to other “select” EV charger OEMs who may want to try it to combat copper scammers. Vandalized electric vehicle stations are a growing problem adding to the already unreliable electric vehicle infrastructure in the United States. The new cables are expected to be available for licensing by mid-2025.
Stronger cables aren’t the only theft deterrent. ChargePoint will launch soon. The company has also developed new security software “ChargePoint Protect” that turns its EV stations into “highly effective” alarm systems. The software can detect any tampering with cables in real time and trigger alarms to scare away thieves while sending text messages and email alerts to EV stand owners.
ChargePoint Protect works on most of the company’s existing commercial EV charger models, with the exception of some older models, according to Farrell. The update is free for station owners, will arrive over the air and will be available later this month.
