A Reddit user sparked concern after sharing photos of a vandalized EV charging station — yet another reminder of a trend affecting EV drivers.
In the post, the user showed several Level 2 chargers with their cables sliced off, leaving nothing but stubs where connectors should be.
"Cut all level 2 chargers cable at millwoods epl like whyyyyyy for copper?" the caption reads. "Or just hater this is why sometimes I'm hesitant to leave my car for a while."
The damage was likely done by people attempting to steal small amounts of copper. This kind of EV charger vandalism is increasingly impacting public EV infrastructure.
While the wire inside charging cables is worth only a few dollars at scrap yards, replacing them can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars, often leaving drivers stranded until repairs are made. With repeated attacks, some charger owners won't even bother making repairs.
Incidents like this have become a recurring headache for EV owners. In Los Angeles, copper theft is so common that city officials warned it could slow the region's electrification goals by taking chargers offline faster than crews can fix them. Earlier this year, thieves targeted a row of fast chargers in the Bay Area, leaving drivers without access for weeks.
Vandalism also erodes public trust in EV infrastructure, which is an obstacle when trying to encourage cleaner transportation and break our dependence on dirty energy.
When chargers are down, drivers relying on public stations face longer waits, reduced access, and more range anxiety. For those considering making their next car an EV, images of dangling cables don't exactly ease concerns.
Critics of EVs often point to battery production or mineral mining as evidence that they aren't truly "green," but the data says otherwise.
Even when an EV is built with the most carbon-intensive battery and charged on a dirty grid, it still produces less lifetime pollution than a gas-powered car.
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Definitely 👍 While the transition to cleaner energy requires mining millions of tons of minerals, we dig up billions of tons of dirty fuels every year to keep combustion engines running, which is the cycle EVs are designed to replace.
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Commenters were quick to share their frustration.
"Probably got $3 worth of scrap copper for that," one person wrote.
Another added, "I read several stories about chargers getting vandalized for the copper."
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