- Vandalism and theft are growing problems at Tesla Superchargers.
- The company is using new cables and will look into dyes and engraved wiring as solutions
As of Feb. 13, the price of copper in the U.S. sits at $4.70 per pound. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it adds up once you start collecting it. EV charging cables have a lot of copper in them. Now, add in the current state of politics in America and Elon Musk’s new role slashing government spending in the Trump administration, and you have a recipe for nefarious individuals attacking Superchargers.
But EV owners are facing the consequences. Now, Tesla is working to deter future crimes against its Supercharger network. Max de Zegher, director of charging at Tesla, recently shared some plans on X that have the potential to directly prevent theft or damage to cables. New casings will be harder to cut through. Those casings can also have dye in them, exploding if the casing is cut. That won’t necessarily stop a perp from cutting into the cables, but it would sure be easy to find them later.
If someone does clip a cable with intent to sell the copper, there will literally be a Tesla calling card on the wiring. According to de Zegher, the company can engrave Property Of Tesla directly onto the wiring made at its Buffalo, New York facility. Like the dye, it won’t prevent theft. But if someone shows up at a recycling center toting 50 pounds of copper with Tesla’s name on it, questions will be asked. Maybe they’ll get busted, maybe not. But hopefully it encourages would-be criminals to just leave it all alone.
Photo by: Max de Zegher / X
These steps come at a time when Tesla is facing a crisis unseen in the company’s relatively short history. 2024 saw a decline in sales, and Musk has upset more than a few people in recent weeks. Reports of vandalism go beyond Superchargers to include Tesla Service Centers and individual vehicle owners who, through no fault of their own, suddenly find themselves facing the fallout of Musk’s actions.
With the Supercharger network opening up to more cars on a regular basis, here’s hoping things don’t get any worse.
