Copper cable theft hits Germany's electric vehicle charging network

[Shawn Knight]

In a nutshell: Electric vehicle charging companies and the motorists that use them are becoming increasingly frustrated by a growing trend in Germany. According to local reports, thieves are targeting electric charging stations for the valuable copper found in charging cables.

Tom's Hardware notes that thieves collectively hit 70 charging stations in a single day. At that rate, supply companies and repair workers are struggling to keep up. It can take upwards of two weeks for a charging station to replace stolen cables. On average, a single electric charging cable contains around $47 worth of copper.

Copper theft has been a concern for consumers, businesses, and law enforcement for years, and there's no easy solution to the issue. Thieves typically target easily accessible locations like construction sites, vacant homes, and even apparently EV charging stations. They steal copper wiring and tubing, strip it down, and sell it to local scrap yards by the pound. Rates vary depending on the grade of copper and other market conditions but it's not uncommon to generate hundreds of dollars or more in a single day.

Scumbags cut the DC cables from newly built EnBW charging station Rewe supermarket in Braunschweig Germany

I am so sick of this! 😡 pic.twitter.com/Osb2FjKykL

– mr.superfly (@superfly_mr) August 30, 2025

The situation has far-reaching consequences. Imagine how frustrating it would be to pull up to a charging station in your EV, only to find the cable is missing. It's also yet another black eye for an industry already struggling to convince consumers that EVs are the way forward, and surely police have more important things to tend to than copper theft. Charging companies, meanwhile, have to deal with repairs and complaints from customers.

As Tom's Hardware highlights, some charging station operators have bolstered video surveillance. Charging station maker Alpitronic, meanwhile, has improved its software to more quickly register cable theft but as the publication correctly notes, neither measure is likely going to do much to deter thieves.

It's unclear if the activity is limited to Germany or if thieves in other regions are also targeting charging stations for a quick buck. Have you come across cut cables at your local stations?

Image credit: Diana Light

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Copper cable theft hits Germany's electric vehicle charging network

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Shockingly, when you dont like punishing a class of criminals, and put valuabl etargets unguarded across the country, theft occurs!

 

[opckieran]

Shockingly, when you dont like punishing a class of criminals, and put valuabl etargets unguarded across the country, theft occurs!

And in the EU/UK, as a native, you’d get more fines and jail time just for pointing that out than for a non-native actually committing the crime. It’s the progressive dystopian vision.

 

[kingmustard]

Can they not pass current through them so that when they are cut, they get an almighty shock?

 

[Megalomaniac]

If I was in charge, the punishment would be a public beating.

 

[m4a4]

Can they not pass current through them so that when they are cut, they get an almighty shock?

And potentially hurt the poor copper-liberator? The gov't can't allow that!

 

[Squid Surprise]

Can they not pass current through them so that when they are cut, they get an almighty shock?

Um… they have current going through them… they’re CHARGING cables… but if it was continuous, you’d kill the cars you were trying to charge…

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

Shockingly, when you dont like punishing a class of criminals, and put valuabl etargets unguarded across the country, theft occurs!

They say: "Oh no, we can't punish criminals to harshly, after all when they're not committing crimes or caught, they're also our voters too.

 

[scoffer]

Looks like the illegals are getting organised....Will probably be the UK next.

 

[whateversa]

Copper cable theft has been a very big problem in South Africa. But it goes further - even other electrical infrastructure is looted, like transformers and other things. It is rare that criminals actually face proper jail time here. Criminals have more rights often than their victims, all thanks to democracy. Our currency has lost about 98% of its value since democracy started. Uneducated and immature people have the right to vote while being easily influenced by politicians making dumb promises that they cannot and have never been able to fulfill. All just for power.

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

If I was in charge, the punishment would be a public beating.

Public beatings with the cables they have stolen.

Slightly more seriously though, any sort of punishment would help, as long as the criminals are actually being caught most of the times they commit the crime. With all the cameras and tracking stuff they have these days catching these guys, either in the act or at the scrap yard, should not be that hard. But as other's have mentioned, the police in many areas have gotten too lazy and too cowardly to go after actual criminals; harassing pensioners who share the wrong memes is easier and safer.

 

[Underdog]

There have been cases where thieves have destroyed train signalling boxes by chopping out what they thought were copper cables, when they were actually fibre. Doh...........