Charging station operator wants to track down cable thieves with GPS

The British charging infrastructure operator InstaVolt has announced that the cables used to connect electric cars to charging points will be fitted with GPS trackers in the future. This is because the cables are often stolen.

Together with the British company Trackit247, InstaVolt wants to stop the thieves. Trackit247 develops systems to monitor vehicles, machines, equipment, or even personal items. This technology will also be integrated into the charging cables of its charging stations in the future, InstaVolt announced.

The tracker sends a real-time location every three seconds. It is also programmed to its location. If it is removed from the assigned area, a control center is automatically notified by text message, email, and telephone. The tracking technology can be used to determine the location of the thief and direct the police there, InstaVolt explained.

Over 400,000 pounds worth of damage

Cable theft is now a major problem, InstaVolt's Delvin Lane told the BBC. In the period between November 2023 and April of this year, the company suffered losses of GBP 410,000, the equivalent of around Euro 470,000.

The cables are also being stolen in Germany, as reported by energy supplier and charging infrastructure operator EnBW. The main focus is on Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, and Thuringia. EnBW estimates the damage for one theft at between 5,000 and 8,000 euros, depending on the location. The affected charging station cannot be used for one to two weeks.

The loot is manageable; the price of copper is currently relatively high. Scrap dealers paid around eight kilograms for copper cables without insulation, the business newspaper Handelsblatt reported a few months ago, but probably significantly less for “material from dubious sources.” A charging cable contains between four and ten kilograms.

With video, GPS, and color against thieves

According to the Handelsblatt report, charging station operators are arming themselves with various measures, particularly cut-resistant cable sheaths video surveillance at particularly vulnerable locations, often combined with motion detectors. The first GPS trackers are also being used in Germany. Tesla integrates non-washable paint into its cables, which splashes out if the cable sheath is damaged.

Some charging station operators are now replacing copper conductors with aluminum ones. The physical properties of aluminum are worse. On the other hand, the material is less attractive as loot: only 40 cents are paid for a kilogram of used aluminum. This could deter cable thieves, but less so vandalism against charging stations.

(wpl)