Several EV owners in the Vancouver, British Columbia metro area have been frustrated to find public Level 2 charging stations inoperable after thieves snipped off the attached cables with bolt cutters. According to Transport Evolved, the thefts are becoming widespread in the area, with some sites falling victim multiple times. TE has also reported similar vandalism incidents in Florida and other states.

Copper currently commands a high price on the scrap metal market, making the cables a tempting target for crooks (who are also known to target air conditioners, street lighting and other outdoor appliances containing copper).

“This is the second charger in the area that has lost its copper,” Kelly Carmichael, a British Columbia EV owner, told Transport Evolved. “I am thankful that the copper thieves haven’t noticed the DC chargers yet, as they have far more copper in them than the Level 2 charging stations.”

The problem seems to be unknown in Europe, where multiple charging standards mean that most Level 2 charging stations have no attached cables – many EV drivers carry their own.

Source: Transport Evolved
Image: Green Energy Futures/Flickr