copper theft from chargers

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), in Spain we are still lagging behind in terms of adoption of electric vehicles. Our country is far behind Western Europe, and the data do not seem to indicate a reversal in the short term.

Interestingly, there is one key point where we are not so far behind: Spain is the seventh country in Europe in terms of charging stations. Our country is behind the Netherlands, Germany and France, but close to Sweden.

30,000 chargers in Spain are still not enough, although the fleet of 100% electric vehicles in Spain does not even reach half a million.

An additional problem is copper theft, a very lucrative practice where criminals can get up to €105 per charger (up to 15kg of copper for a 400A charger at €6/€7 for those paying per kilo).

According to industry experts, “You don’t have to be a master to cut a hose. Just use scissors or a saw, and in five minutes you’ve achieved your goal.”

According to Ferran Menescal, the cost of copper theft is estimated at around 1,000 to 1,500 euros per hose. Sales Manager from Finnish charging company Kempower.

When a hose is cut, the connector is usually damaged, which results in repair costs of up to 3,000 euros per unit. Considering that there are chargers with up to six hoses, the economic losses are significant.

The alternative? Install cables with more protection to make cutting more difficult. Plan B: choose aluminum instead of copper, which manufacturers are not currently considering. The latter solution will significantly increase the weight of the hose.

Redoubling efforts to monitor shippers won’t do much good either. Experts say thieves are taking increasingly more steps to avoid being identified. “They park their cars outside the range of cameras, approach on foot, and wear balaclavas to hide their faces. In less than five minutes, they’ve completed the robbery and walked away with the stolen goods.”

A problem with no obvious easy solution, and one that affects more than just electric cars. In Spain, miles of copper are being stolen from various infrastructures, including secondary roads.

In Hataka | Tesla Charging Stations Give Headaches: Copper Thieves