A new wave of criminality seems to be spreading fast across the UK – theft of charging cables of electric vehicles. These cables are critical components in keeping electric vehicles on the road, as they have to be charged regularly, but thieves are now targeting this component which can be sold at a reduced price in the second-hand market or destroying the unit and selling its copper as scrap.
This new trend adds to what was the major issue – theft of catalytic converters that are put at about 10,000 stolen every year. Industry experts predict that the cost of replacing stolen charging cables could dwarf the estimated £10 million per year expended on catalytic converters replacement.
There had been a steady rise in the acquisition of fully electric vehicles or hybrid models in the UK in recent years. There are currently over 400,000 such vehicles in the UK and there is a conscious and direct effort to phase out combustion-powered vehicles by the turn of this century. Charging cables which are up to 15 feet are filled with copper cables which could be sold as scrap. On the other hand, replacement of stolen cables could cost up to £700 except one is bought from the second-hand market, where it could be priced as low as £200. There is the need to nip the theft of this important unit in the bud and searchlight should be beamed on the seemingly easy market available for such stolen item.
The charging cable can be stolen even while the car is being charged or stolen from the boot. There are some pretty cheap measures to secure the charging cable against theft, but ultimately, it is advisable to charge your car in a safe place away from criminals and overall vigilance.
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