Across the UK, EV charging sites are being vandalised and cables are being cut, leaving customers stranded, damaged public trust in infrastructure and downtime for CPOs. The industry is moving at a rapid pace, the UK added over 19,000 new public charge points to the ZapMaps network in 2024 – 19% more than 2023. Alongside that network growth, DeterTech incident data report that EV-charger theft and vandalism more that doubled in 2024 versus 2023. Police forces are now logging cable-cutting in their annual freedom of information releases.
The message for operators is simple: every minute of downtime erodes public confidence and costs you money, the time for protection is now.
Why EV charger cable theft hits so hard
- Sites, not just chargers: Often with multiple chargers effected on the site the whole hub is compromised in one attack leading to users not being to charge at all.
- Reputation: One bad experience will be remembered over and above 100 successful visits. Drivers arrive, see taped-off units and are unable to charge correlating their frustration with your brand.
- Snowballing OPEX: Replacement parts, emergency call-out fees and lost revenue stack up fast.
- Escalating insurance scrutiny: Repeated incidents trigger excess hikes and new policy exclusions.
The bottom line: prevention costs less than even the first emergency call-out
A proven first line of defence: CableGuard™
A Formula Space designed solution. CableGuard™ – a patent-pending cut resistant sleeve that takes 25x longer to get through compared to an unprotected cable while spraying the suspect with forensically traceable liquid with a unique DNA code linked to that site. The technology behind the tracing system show a 98% drop in repeat attacks when implemented and a 100% conviction record when used as evidence in UK courts.
Why it works
- Time penalty: The solution dramatically increase the amount of time to get through to the cable as well as the amount of effort required to do so.
- Traceability: The only solution on the market that packages cut-resistant materials with state-of-the-art UV tagging logged on a police-accessible database.
- User-neutral: Adds very little discernible difference to the cable for the end user and tested with withstand the busiest of sites.
Layered site security
While CableGuard™ shields the charging cable itself, each site still needs to have implemented a holistic security plan to safeguard uptime, protect infrastructure and maintain user confidence. No single product can do it all but a carefully blended, multi-layer solution, ideally coordinated by a single-source, gives your location the strongest defence from day one.
Active CCTV Monitoring
- HD cameras providing full area coverage of your EV chargers, entrance and exit.
- Studies of car‑park settings show an average 37 % crime drop where cameras are installed and a system actively watched saw a further 15% reduction.
- Audio talk‑down and strobe lighting stops many incidents before any damage is done.
- Integrates with automatic number‑plate recognition for bulletproof evidence packages and potential added revenue streams.
Smart ECO Lighting
- Large‑scale reviews conducted by the College of Policing link improved lighting to a 21% reduction in overall crime. It was also noted CCTV effectiveness is improved in reducing crime when adequate lighting is implemented.
- Motion‑adaptive towers slash energy use while flooding bays with 5 000 K light whenever movement is detected.
- Eco lighting towers can be installed with completely self-sustaining systems boasting guaranteed uptime in the UK from entirely sustainable sources with no grid link-up required.
Signage & Crash Protection
- Installing all protections available are only effective if they are known to potential attackers. Warning signage of monitored CCTV being in operation, ANPR and forensic tracking only provide a strong deterrent if boldly advertised.
- Crash‑rated bollards and bump-stops protect chargers, branding and furniture from the daily risks of operating a vehicle charging location.
- Clear line‑of‑sight from the street puts attackers in public view, gaining additional marketing points too.
Sources
- EV Charging Statistics – ZapMaps
- EV charge point vandalism and theft doubles in 2024 – Transport & Energy
- Crime Reduction Toolkit – Street Lighting – College of Policing
