EV driver shares photo of shocking scene at charging station as disturbing trend gains traction nationwide: 'This is out of control'

If you polled strangers on the street about electric vehicles, most likely, the majority of hesitation would come from uncertainty around charging. Concerns about range and charging are dissipating as technologies rapidly improve, but one major hurdle still exists: crime. 

No matter how fast a Level 3 charger can zap up a battery, your car isn't getting charged if the cable has been sawed off. As of late, EV chargers have not only been a target for ideological vandalism, but as one Redditor shows, stations have also been the sites of increased ransacking for valuable metals.

"How many of you [are] experiencing this[?] I'm in WA state and this is out of control," the OP wrote on the r/BoltEV subreddit.

"Someone cut all the charging cables for the copper," one commenter guessed. "That is bad." The charging cables for fast chargers have copper inside them, which is at a record high on the global market, reported PBS.

This is a major hurdle to widespread EV adoption, which is critical for preventing our planet from overheating. There is a perception of EV charger scarcity among Americans, which creates a "chicken and egg" problem. Investors want to see demand from EV owners before developing charging networks, and drivers want to see developed networks before buying an EV.

This major issue also arose in a decade-long study by Harvard researcher Omar Asensio. "No one's maintaining these stations," Asensio said. However, Asensio identifies this as a major opportunity for entrepreneurship.

"For example, at Harvard Business School's climate conference in April 2023, ChargerHelp! Co-founder Evette Ellis explained that her Los Angeles-based technology startup trains people to operate and maintain public charging stations," reported Barbara DeLollis and Glen Justice.

Just like gas stations have attendants, EV chargers will need to adapt or develop security forces. "Bring your own cord really is the way to go," one commenter suggested. "Saves tons of money at installation, saves tons of money in maintenance, and puts the responsibility on the car owners who need the juice." 

Though Level 3 fast-charger cords contain cooling technology that would make this impossible at the moment, other chargers have already integrated this technique.

EV chargers and local law enforcement are working on long- and short-term solutions, reported PBS: "The charging companies are trying to fight back. Electrify America is installing more security cameras … The Recycled Materials Association, which represents 1,700 members, is issuing scrap-theft alerts from law enforcement officials so that members can be on the lookout for suspects and stolen goods."

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For the sake of switching to cleaner energy, this problem needs to be solved. While EVs do create some pollution, they're cleaner than gas-guzzling cars. Manufacturing EV batteries requires mining for elements, but we currently dig up billions of tons of fossil fuels for energy, and that's what needs to be replaced. 

"Lots of EV haters out there," said one Redditor. 

"I've never seen anything like this," said one EV owner in New England.

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