EV cable thefts – a new worry for commercial fleets

DeterTech, which operates a national intelligence portal on behalf of all police forces in England and Wales, said organised criminal gangs were exploiting this emerging market – and it has uncovered alarming insights.

Both residential EV chargers and public charging stations are being targeted by low-level offenders and serious organised gangs alike, particularly in areas such as South Yorkshire and the West Midlands.

And Gary Higgins, director of security and risk at DeterTech, said hotspots will continue to be targeted by criminals until adequate deterrents are in place.

“Worryingly, offenders are often found revisiting the same public charging stations to steal replacement cables installed after previous thefts. This ongoing cycle of events underscores the importance of disrupting the supply chain and ensuring stolen cables can be easily identified,” he said.

Each stolen or damaged cable costs charging providers between £700 and £1,000 and figures indicate that theft and vandalism costs the industry upwards of £500,000 based on the cost of replacement, repair and lost income.

Higgins added: “DeterTech’s deterrent-based SmartWater is already widely used to tackle cable theft and has a 100% conviction rate in contested court cases. The technology is now being adopted by EV charge point operators across the UK, helping to ensure their locations remain safe and accessible for all users.

“The liquid is invisible to the naked eye but shows up clearly under UV light. It makes it much simpler for police and local authorities to identify stolen property and to shut down rogue scrap metal dealers who are willing to handle stolen goods.”

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