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
– mr.superfly (@superfly_mr) August 30, 2025
I am so sick of this! 😡 pic.twitter.com/Osb2FjKykL
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