- Car charging cable theft on the rise. Is your electric
vehicle safe from the metal thieves?
With the UK set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars
from 2030, the future of the motor trade industry really is
electric, but that’s leading to a new type of crime – the theft
of car charging cables.
With this metal theft on the increase, a trusted waste disposal
company asks: Can you leave your expensive new car to charge
outside without someone making off with the cable?
Rubbish removal company Divert.co.uk say that you shouldn’t leave
your electric charging cable outside your home, as scrap metal
thieves have labelled them as must-have items.
“Car chargers are particularly appealing to thieves because they
can be sold for up to £200 and they are selling them everywhere,
eBay, Facebook, and to dodgy scrap dealers,” says company
spokesman . “And they can be
pretty costly and inconvenient for you to replace, so it’s best
to keep it locked away from the crooks.”
Easy money for organised thieves
Unfortunately, metal theft is nothing new – and it seems that
every new technological development brings with it a new type of
crime.
While we are used to the copper in telephone cables and lead from
church roofs being targeted by organised thieves, the metal in
electric car chargers is becoming increasingly sought after by
thieves looking to make quick money.
“With more people going green and choosing electric cars over
petrol and diesel, there are more charging cables available for
thieves to target,” says Divert.co.uk spokesman .
At the start of 2021, there are over 300,000 electric and hybrid
vehicles on the road in the UK**, and plug-in cars accounted for
one in ten of all cars sold in the UK in 2020.***
Although many electric vehicles have systems in place that lock
the charger into position, allowing the owners to leave the car
charging securely overnight or while they are shopping, these
security measures aren’t always fool-proof.
Tesla owners have noticed this winter that the locking mechanism
wouldn’t work due to the freezing weather, causing cables to
become detached from their vehicles which made them easier to
steal – which prompted the automakers to release a ‘cold weather
improvements’ software update to counteract the problem.****
Hall: “This just goes to show that even the top-of-the-range
models are still having teething problems with chargers, leaving
them vulnerable to being stolen.
“And at £200 a pop, running off with a cable is easy money for
any thief looking to strike it rich.”
What can you do to protect your electric car
charger?
Charger cables are an expensive but essential accessory to
replace and could cost you a small fortune if goes missing – so
it’s in your best interest to prevent it from being taken by
thieves.
If you’re concerned that your car charger could be stolen,
Divert.co.uk spokesman has some ideas
which could help secure your cable.
The simplest solution is to padlock the cable to your vehicle
while charging it at home or out and about, similarly to how you
would secure a bike with a bike lock.
Hall: “You should try and keep the charger locked when it’s not
in use too, or even better would be to bring it inside and hide
it in your garage.”
Speaking of which, another possibility, if you are charging your
vehicle at home, is to powerup from while parked up inside your
garage, out of sight from potential crooks.
But if you don’t have the option to charge inside, it’s best to
park with the charging point nearest to your house, to keep the
cable discreet to potential thieves driving by.
Hall: “Most charging cables available for public use are tethered
to try and prevent people from making off with them, and you can
purchase similar devices to be used at home.
“Because if it’s not bolted down or locked away - someone will
try to pinch it.”
NOTES FOR
EDITORS
Divert.co.uk is a fully licensed on-demand waste removal and
disposal service for households and businesses.
Our computer algorithm calculates the best price for all of our
customers, making sure you never pay too much to have your
rubbish taken away.
Divert.co.uk’s aim is to send as little as possible to landfill,
and we work with local charities and recycling agencies to give
items a second lease of life.
Website: https://www.divert.co.uk/
* Ban on new
petrol and diesel cars in UK from 2030 under PM's green plan -
BBC News
** The road
to electric - the UK's adoption of electric cars in charts and
data | RAC Drive
*** Analysis:
2020 UK car sales hit 28-year low, EV market grows rapidly |
Autocar
**** Thieves
are stealing Tesla charging cables, some are suspecting lock
defect in cold - Electrek
