Charging Station Vandalism - Downtown Phoenix

On a related note:

J1772 EV Charging Cable 16A 12 AWG 15 Cable Rema EV Connector | eBay

This is one of the reasons I'm very happy with the Type 2 solution in Europe where you plug in your own cable. Makes the charging stations more robust.

Nevertheless a lame action for indeed $5 of copper.

TEG said:

On a related note:

J1772 EV Charging Cable 16A 12 AWG 15 Cable Rema EV Connector | eBay

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This does look like it came off a station. The location is San Jose and the seller has good reputation. Was it perhaps the result of a swap? Blink reportedly would replace the cords due to thermal issues with the plug when charging at higher amperages.

This is dissapointing to hear. Thankfully where they have the supercharger dot is a better area.

surfingslovak said:

This does look like it came off a station. The location is San Jose and the seller has good reputation. Was it perhaps the result of a swap? Blink reportedly would replace the cords due to thermal issues with the plug when charging at higher amperages.

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Also the seller sells quite a bit of EV charge cables, including intact cables like J1772 to Menekes adapters that obviously wasn't cut off from a charger. So he's probably fine.

Sadly, this is a huge (and very dangerous) issue for us in the electric utility business. Once I actually caught a guy unbolting copper bus bars from transformers in our storage yard, but the more dangerous stuff happens when thieves injure or kill themselves trying to make off with live conductors.

This is terrible, and it does make the case for a "bring your own cable" or Plugless Power system (see here: Plugless Power Has Launched Their Wireless Charging System).

What makes you think if you bring your own cable they wouldn't do the same thing? Then many would be even more upset. As many in the Phoenix area know, they recently hit a strip mall in uptown and shut down the entire place for 2 days. Instead of electricity, it was the water main pipes they took. I bring this up because its not just a charger/electricity problem.

Cities and States need to tighten up the punishment on these types of theft and vandalism. There also should be tighter controls around non-business selling of these items.

Ya, I was just reading this on the plane the other day...

Copper theft 'like an epidemic' sweeping US - Yahoo! Finance

Kinda sad. But this is what society has come to.

phat78boy said:

Instead of electricity, it was the water main pipes they took. I bring this up because its not just a charger/electricity problem.

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I'll see your water main pipe and raise you transmission tower bracing (below) - South Africa.

In fact, in South Africa there was an incident in 2007 where a team was busy installing a row of towers for a new line, and 2 towers behind them, vandals were caught carrying away the newly installed transmission tower (they managed to dismantle the entire thing).

mknox said:

Sadly, this is a huge (and very dangerous) issue for us in the electric utility business. Once I actually caught a guy unbolting copper bus bars from transformers in our storage yard, but the more dangerous stuff happens when thieves injure or kill themselves trying to make off with live conductors.

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This is a problem in Sweden as well. A lot of old churches for example had copper roofs and gutters. But hence not anymore…

However it’s been reported in the media that we have started using this system:

SmartwaterHome

…in Sweden. Apparently it’s been used in the UK, and quite successfully so, if I’ve understood it correctly…

But I’m guessing you’re familiar with it...

But if not: Here’s an English article about it:

DNA new 'protection' against copper thieves - The Local

And here’s a Swedish news article (translatable using Google for instance…) with some pictures:

Märkning av koppar för att stoppa stölder - Göteborg - www.gp.se

Also found this (guessing it’s a competitor…):

Copper Theft: How to prevent Copper Theft | SelectaDNA

Scrap Metal Dealers Live Off Falling Rockets | EurasiaNet.org

...the region's scrap metal dealers are getting rich trading metal from the rockets' titanium alloy hulls...

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TEG said:

On a related note:

J1772 EV Charging Cable 16A 12 AWG 15 Cable Rema EV Connector | eBay

Click to expand...

I asked the seller for a picture of the end of the cable and it showed an cut-off cable...
could be coincidence...

ojee99 said:

I asked the seller for a picture of the end of the cable and it showed an cut-off cable...
could be coincidence...

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I didn't hear about this until now. They removed all the stations at that Ecotality headquarters soon after this (per pictures online), but I assumed it was related to the bankruptcy. I'll be really pissed if this trend grows among copper thieves. Hopefully word doesn't get out about this source of copper. EV drivers could get royally screwed if plugs are randomly missing. It will also discourage the hosting businesses if it becomes a hassle to keep them safe and functioning.

To the OP: is there a chance it could be vandals who are simply out to screw with electric car drivers? Some sort of gasoline-power anti-environment idiots?