As the electric vehicle (EV) revolution accelerates, so do the growing challenges for the infrastructure that supports it: vandalism and theft at charging stations. For property owners, fleets, and network operators alike, this isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s a threat to reliability, uptime, and the business case for electrification.

Recent reports paint a stark picture of the surge in incidents. According to data shared with the analytics firm DeterTech, theft and vandalism targeting EV chargers more than doubled in 2024 compared to 2023. Similarly, industry surveys suggest that over 20% of U.S. charging stations have experienced some form of vandalism – from cut cables to damaged enclosures and intentional electrical tampering.

One specific vulnerability stands out: charging cables. FLO reported that nearly one in four Level – 2 charger repairs in late 2023 involved cable damage – not all due to theft, but nearly all contributing to downtime. In Seattle, a single charging station suffered over 100 cable-theft events in one year.

Why Does It Matter? The cost of each incident goes well beyond repairs:

• Lost uptime: A disabled charger means EV drivers must detour, wait, or abandon charging altogether – undermining confidence in the network.
• Higher maintenance costs: Repeated vandalism drives up the total cost of ownership for site hosts.
• Investment hesitation: If sites are frequently damaged, new installations may be delayed or canceled.

For large portfolios, these compounding costs can significantly impact revenue and adoption rates. And What’s Driving the Problem?

• Valuable materials: Copper in charging cables continues to fetch resale value, making them attractive to thieves.
• Low visibility: Chargers often sit in dimly lit, low-traffic areas – ideal conditions for quick theft.
• Rapid expansion: The faster the network grows, the harder it becomes to secure every site.
• Legacy design: Early chargers weren’t built with vandalism resistance in mind – they lack tamper-proof housings, remote alerts, or cable management systems.

Following in the footsteps of our European counterparts, the concept of BYOC aka Bring Your Own Charger can be revolutionary. While there’s no single fix, site design and equipment choice play a critical role in reducing vandalism risk. Solutions with detachable or modular cables can dramatically cut downtime and replacement costs.

When a cable is damaged or stolen, operators can simply swap in a new one rather than replacing or repairing the entire charger. This not only reduces maintenance expenses but also ensures chargers are back online within hours – not weeks. Detachable systems also discourage thieves, since they often rely on cutting fixed, high-value cables quickly.

Paired with proper lighting, signage, and real-time monitoring, these design improvements can make public and private charging sites far more resilient.

Looking ahead, as EV adoption expands, infrastructure resilience will matter as much as availability. Vandalism and theft aren’t just operational headaches – they shape public trust in the charging ecosystem.

Building smarter, more repairable, and tamper-resistant infrastructure now ensures that the next generation of chargers stays online longer and serves more drivers. Detachable-cable systems and modular designs are one step toward that more sustainable, more secure EV future.