As electric vehicle drivers look to find a way to charge their vehicles in Las Vegas, they are left frustrated over a new form of theft: stolen charging cables at EV charging stations, as reported by WENY News.
Across the Las Vegas Valley, thieves have been targeting electric vehicle charging cables.
According to ChargeHub, there are 1,147 public charging stations within a 15-kilometer radius (about 9 miles) of Las Vegas. These public chargers are available to the ever-increasing number of EV drivers in the city. NPR reported that EV registrations in the area nearly doubled in just one year, from December 2021 to December 2022, and that is continuing to increase. But vandalized charging stations make it more difficult for drivers to share in the public utility.
EV driver James Johnson told WENY: "100% frustration. Let alone, on top of waiting to charge." Johnson noted that he has seen vandalized cables at least 10 times, causing wait times to increase from 45 minutes to three hours.
According to Electrify America, a leading public charging company in the U.S., thieves are targeting the cords because they can get money from the copper wiring. AP News reported that the amount is insignificant, estimating $15-$20 per cable at a scrap yard.
"It's a very unfortunate situation," Electrify America VP of Operations Anthony Lambkin said, per WENY. "The level of scrap value is pennies on the dollar, as to what it takes to install charging cables."
The cost to replace stolen cables can be up to $4,000, per autoevolution.
Electric vehicles can save drivers thousands annually on fuel charges, according to CLEAResult, and provide affordable energy solutions that produce less air pollution. However, they remain the minority of cars in the U.S. According to Edmunds, only 6.8% of new vehicle sales in May were electric ones.
A recent poll from AP News found that American drivers are reluctant to switch to EVs because they think charging them takes too long and they don't know any charging stations near them.
Despite EV charging stations increasing each year, per the U.S. Department of Energy, the infrastructure is still lacking to incentivize drivers to switch to electric. Combined with vandalism, EV chargers can be unreliable. One driver found multiple stations vandalized in a public station in Arizona, while another tried four chargers at one station to no luck.
This makes the work of companies like Electrify America even more important. "We serve hundreds of thousands of drivers on a weekly basis," said Lambkin. "We consider ourselves mission-critical infrastructure." The company is working with law enforcement to combat theft and installing more security cameras at stations.
Other drivers and companies shared their own solutions to combat cable theft. Tesla has installed video cameras at its Supercharger stations, according to Torque News.
"Any metals recycling shop caught buying these chargers should be put out of business," commented one Reddit user who was struggling with the same issue in Washington state. "Same with the ones who purchase stolen catalytic converters."
"They probably should put locked door over the cable, and it would unlock once you put your credit card in. Or, make it retractable," commented another user.
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