As the UK accelerates its transition to electric vehicles to meet its Net Zero 2050 goals, the country’s burgeoning public charging infrastructure has faced an unexpected challenge: vandalism and theft. The industry, however, is fighting back…
In October 2024, the UK, historically the first nation to harness coal on an industrial scale, marked a significant milestone by becoming the first major economy to phase out its reliance on coal with the closure of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power plant. The nation now finds itself embarking on its next ambitious endeavour: the green transition. Building on key legislation, including the Climate Change Act (2008) and the Environment Act (2021), Britain achieved a 48% reduction in carbon emissions between 1990 and 2021.
To meet the remaining emissions reduction targets, UK policymakers have identified emissions from private vehicles as critical to achieving the country’s various Net Zero ambitions. Successive governments have committed to transitioning fully from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs).
This commitment aligns with the overarching Net Zero 2050 target, a pledge to eliminate all carbon emissions by mid-century. Supporting this vision is the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, introduced in March 2023, which aims to increase the share of EVs among new cars sold in the UK from an estimated 22% in 2024 to 100% by 2035.
The current Labour government has reinforced its commitment to this goal, launching a consultation in January 2025 to explore the possibility of reinstating the previous 2030 deadline. Transforming a refuelling infrastructure, taxation framework and regulatory system designed for ICE vehicles over the course of more than a century has demanded significant government focus.
To accelerate this transition, legislators have actively encouraged private sector involvement by offering subsidies and grants to support EV-related businesses. As a result, a diverse array of chargepoint operators (CPOs) has emerged to establish, manage and maintain charging hubs – permanent locations housing multiple EV chargers – to meet the growing demand for EV charging infrastructure.
To date, the primary challenges to fostering a successful public-private partnership in the EV sector have largely revolved around overcoming public misconceptions. However, as the industry has matured and infrastructure has expanded to areas with limited public understanding of EV chargers, new challenges have emerged. Since 2024, the sector has faced a familiar issue, albeit in a form unique to its operations: crime, specifically theft and vandalism. While EVs are targeted more frequently for theft than ICE vehicles, this trend is primarily attributed to EVs being newer, more expensive models that are naturally more appealing to criminals. Vandalism, however, has been directed not at the vehicles but at the copper components within chargers and chargepoints – materials critical to their operation.
Numerous sites operated by various CPOs have experienced attacks, often random but occurring with increasing frequency. This trend suggests that the issue is scaling alongside the rapid growth of the EV sector. The pressing question now is how CPOs, security services and local authorities can disrupt this illicit trade in its early stages, preventing it from escalating further across the UK.
Cable carnage
Copper, valued for its exceptional electrical conductivity, resistance to oxidation, flexibility, and durability, is a critical component in EV cables. However, the actual amount of copper used in these cables is minimal. Even in the most copper-intensive EV infrastructure, such as DC fast chargers, each unit contains only around 50-100kg of copper. This could theoretically fetch £4 to £6 per kilogramme on the scrap market, equating to a total value of £200 to £600 per charger. For would-be thieves, however, this potential payoff comes with significant challenges. Much of the copper is embedded within the charger’s components, making it difficult to extract.
Even if they succeed, the retrieved copper is unlikely to be pure or refined, further diminishing its value. Ultimately, the effort required to breach a charger and extract its copper often results in an underwhelming haul of low-grade, tarnished metal – hardly worth the time or risk involved.
“We’ve had 354 instances of cable cuts; we’re down nearly £400,000. That affects investment – Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt
“The value they can obtain from the cable is completely disproportionate to the impact [on our operations],” says Adrian Fielden-Gray, COO and co-founder of CPO Be.EV. “This isn’t just affecting us as a business – it affects everyone. In a new sector and industry, you encounter unexpected challenges like this, and it then becomes a matter of determining the best way to address them.” Since its launch in 2019, Be.EV has grown from operating EV chargepoints in Greater Manchester to managing more than 700 chargepoints, covering approximately two-thirds of the UK’s wider national footprint. In its early days, copper theft was not a significant security concern for the company, largely due to the minimal amount of copper present in each cable.
“The primary concern was heavy vandalism of the chargers and graffiti,” explains Fielden-Gray. “Many hardware manufacturers incorporated anti-graffiti paint as a solution, but cable theft wasn’t considered in the original designs of chargers. This has now become the leading issue from a vandalism perspective.” InstaVolt, a CPO currently managing more than 2,000 chargers across approximately 700 locations in the UK, was among the first to encounter this issue. Last year, the company reported that 25 chargers in the Midlands and Yorkshire had been restored to operation after cable-cutting incidents had rendered them offline.
The problem, first reported by InstaVolt in November 2023, escalated significantly in 2024, with incidents involving chargers located outside major foodservice retailers such as McDonald’s and Costa. These brazen acts signalled a new and troubling challenge for the CPO.
“Cable cuts, as we see today, are quite a new phenomenon,” says InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane. “We’ve only really started experiencing this issue since the summer of last year, and it has ramped up significantly. Prior to that, for six and a half years, we hadn’t encountered anything like this.” While the rise in cable theft has prompted CPOs to re-evaluate their security measures, this does not imply they were previously neglectful in safeguarding their infrastructure. From the outset, multiple layers of security were implemented, including CCTV, ANPR cameras, cable tracker tags, on-site guards and noise deterrents. These measures proved sufficient to deter vandals during the initial years of operation.
FAST FACT: Thieves earn £25 per cable, but replacements cost over £1,000. Source: AutoExpress
Ironically, however, following media reports of the first attack aimed at raising awareness, a wave of copycat incidents ensued. Drawn by the perceived value of copper, individuals attempted increasingly amateurish thefts, further exacerbating the issue. “In a previous role, I worked in road infrastructure, where people were stealing cables from lamp posts, lighting columns, and similar installations – so, unfortunately, copper theft is not a new issue,” says Fielden-Gray. “The attacks escalated suddenly, likely due to either coordination among certain groups or opportunistic individuals once word got out. “Now, we’ve seen some attempts that feel like amateur hour,” he continues. “They’ve caused damage to the charger, left it offline and allowed water ingress. There’s a significant cost to repair it, and, in the end, they didn’t even manage to steal anything.”
Despite the rate of cable cutting doubling from 2023 to 2024,the sheer number of chargers available across all CPOs has kept the relative impact on overall capacity minimal. A cut cable can typically be replaced and a chargepoint restored to operation within 24 hours. However, the financial and psychological toll of these incidents has had an outsized impact on operations.
The cost of repairs, combined with the disruption to service and the growing need for enhanced security measures, places a disproportionate burden on CPOs. “We’ve had 354 instances of cable cuts; I’m down nearly £400,000,” explains Lane. “That affects investment. We’re well-funded by EQT and aren’t slowing down, but, for other CPOs, this could push them out of business.” “There’s a direct financial toll, but the cables are insurable,” adds Fielden-Gray. “The question then becomes, ‘Do we continue with this site?’ For most sites, the answer is yes, but you don’t want to immediately reinstall the cable, only for it to be stolen again the next night.”
Defending the charge
The novelty and impact of these crimes have prompted CPOs, security services and local authorities to adapt and implement innovative protection measures. One such solution involves the use of advanced coatings designed to deter and identify thieves. At the basic level, anti-theft paints stain attackers, making them easier to identify. More sophisticated “smart paints” are embedded with microprocessors or sensors that react to their environment or ultraviolet (UV) light. These sensors can change colour or emit signals to alert monitoring systems. One notable example is SmartWater, developed by DeterTech.
This invisible marker becomes detectable under UV light and has been deployed inside chargers, which are not easily accessible to the public. Severed cables treated with the solution retain unique DNA markers, enabling local authorities to trace stolen materials and prosecute offenders effectively.
“Both residential EV chargers and public charging stations are frequently targeted by low-level offenders and organised criminal gangs, particularly in areas such as South Yorkshire and the West Midlands,” says Gary Higgins, director of security and risk at DeterTech. “These hotspots will remain vulnerable to criminal activity until adequate deterrents are implemented. [SmartWater] liquid is invisible to the naked eye but becomes clearly visible under UV light, making it much easier for police and local authorities to trace stolen property and shut down rogue scrap metal dealers willing to handle stolen goods. Thieves operate with impunity when they believe they won’t get caught.” While security companies such as DeterTech, which InstaVolt uses, report a “100% conviction rate in contested court cases”, this approach is inherently reactive, as it relies on the cable cutting – and subsequent damage – having already occurred.
FAST FACT: Theft and vandalism targeting EV chargers in the UK more than doubled in 2024 compared to 2023. Source: DeterTech
In response, CPOs are increasingly combining pre-warning systems, preventive measures and reactive technologies to better protect their infrastructure. While components such as CCTV and on-site guards were already standard, CPOs are now implementing innovative techniques to stay ahead of criminals and safeguard their assets.
“We’re exploring all sorts of technologies,” says Lane. “We’re trialling exploding ink and considering running a separate live cable through the main charger cable, similar to an electric fence. We’re also looking into armoured cables or protective sheathing. However, we need to ensure these solutions don’t negatively impact drivers who are vulnerable or have disabilities.” ChargePoint, another CPO, recently announced the deployment of cut-resistant charging cables and advanced alarm systems to enhance security at its sites, while Be.EV’s ‘Charging Hub Intelligent Protection’ initiative in Chesterfield combines 24/7 CCTV monitoring, tannoy warnings and SelectaDNA-coated cables to deter theft. Similarly, CPO Osprey Charging is trialling Evolt’s ‘Cable Alarm’, which triggers audible and visual alerts when tampering is detected. These solutions are designed to not only deter theft but also enhance public trust in EV infrastructure by improving reliability.
Police protection
While CPOs are private enterprises, it is crucial to recognise that they provide services essential to the government’s publicly stated green transition goals. However, the relative novelty of the EV industry means that the legal and regulatory frameworks governing it have yet to catch up with its rapid expansion. As a result, criminals targeting CPO sites often face fewer consequences compared to those who commit vandalism against more established businesses. This regulatory gap underscores the need for updated laws to better protect the infrastructure critical to achieving the UK’s sustainability objectives.
“Tougher sentencing and clear deterrents are essential, alongside ensuring that criminals are made aware of these consequences,” says Fielden-Gray. “When this issue first arose, there was talk of establishing dedicated task forces specifically to investigate these crimes. It’s a highly specific and bespoke type of crime, so having a specialised, collaborative force that works across regions and CPOs would be invaluable. For instance, if thefts occur in Norfolk, the Midlands and Yorkshire, a coordinated effort could help pinpoint the hotspots and focus resources where they’re needed most.”
There’s a direct financial toll, but the cables are insurable. The question then becomes, ‘Do we continue with this site?’ – Adrian Fielden-Gray, COO and co-founder, Be.EV
The prevalence of copper theft is largely enabled by the ability of criminals to offload stolen materials to scrap dealers. This informal network effectively operates like a series of front companies, laundering stolen copper by mixing it with legitimate supply. While it is challenging for scrap dealers to ascertain the origin – and thus the legality – of the copper they receive, weak enforcement and lenient penalties under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, which caps fines at £5,000, provide little deterrent for dealers to investigate the source of their materials.
“I would urge all CPOs to collaborate,” says Lane, outlining how the industry can combat theft. “I’d
also encourage the police to track where these stolen cables are being sold, particularly to scrap dealers, and work to eliminate the incentive. The goal should be to remove the appeal of cutting cables for a quick £15 or £20. If thieves can’t sell the copper, there’s no reason to steal it. And from our side, we will prosecute every single time.”
Charging ahead
Although cable theft has emerged as a significant threat to CPOs, its impact on operational capacity has been limited thanks to a variety of robust security systems, advanced identification technologies and strengthened prevention measures. These proactive efforts have successfully mitigated the potential for serious disruption. However, as with earlier challenges, the greatest obstacle to widespread EV adoption remains negative public perception – a barrier CPOs continue to address through education initiatives, improved infrastructure and enhanced user experiences.
“Fortunately, we maintain a very high availability across our sites,” explains Fielden-Gray. “While theft does cause some downtime, it’s not as though the entire network is affected. EV drivers can still have confidence in our sites, and it’s highly unlikely they will be directly impacted. That said, we are working hard to further mitigate these disruptions.”
As EV adoption continues to grow nationwide, the impact of issues such as cable theft will inevitably reach a larger number of people. While ICE vehicles have long been targets for various criminal activities, the proactive measures being taken by CPOs aim to ensure that drivers face fewer concerns as they transition to electric mobility. Over time, the increasing number of EV drivers – who will have a greater vested interest in protecting their vehicles and infrastructure – may drive the development of more integrated security systems and stricter policing measures.
For now, however, addressing these challenges remains a gradual process, requiring patience and sustained effort. “We’re committed to deploying 11,000 public chargers in the UK by 2030, so I have to believe these measures will work, and we must stay one step ahead of the criminals, ensuring our sites remain as open, reliable, and operational as possible for our users, concludes Lane.”
This article was originally published in the February 2025 issue of CiTTi Magazine.
Achievements and innovations in EV charging infrastructure will be recognised and celebrated at the fourth annual CiTTi Awards on 25 November 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector!
