2024-09-25 10:10:08
It does not only happen in Greece where spirals steal cables containing copper, from where it is convenient. The problem affects many countries across Europe and lately it has been a big blow for electric car charger companies.
Rick Wilmer spends most of his work days in the office. But every now and then, the CEO of ChargePoint Holdings Inc. goes to the company’s workshop in San Jose, California, to repair the company’s EV chargers.
ChargePoint isn’t the only company affected. This year, until June, nearly one in five charging attempts in a public place in the US ended in failure, according to JD Power. About 10% of the cases were due to a damaged or stolen cable.
In a “difficult” moment
While some of the devastation is unprovoked — as in the spray and baseball bat attacks on vending machines — industry executives say much of the damage has a specific, lucrative motive: copper.
The thefts come at a particularly difficult time for U.S. automakers as sales of electric cars slump.
A reliable charging network is key to eliminating drivers’ anxiety about their car’s range, with charging companies keen to convince skeptical consumers that public stations are inconvenient, slow to charge and often broken.
Charging stations are usually hidden in secluded corners of shopping centers and municipal parking lots, and almost all of them are not guarded. Therefore cable theft by criminals who dress up to look like utility workers or technicians is very easy.
Copper is an important metal whose prices have roughly doubled since their nadir. in early 2020.
How much copper do charging cables contain?
A slow charge cable, also known as a level 2 charger, contains about 5 kilograms of copper, which is equivalent to about 36 dollars. A Level 3 cable – the kind found in fast charging stations – has about twice that amount.
ChargePoint is among the companies trying to develop a cable that can’t be cut. It’s harder than it sounds: High-strength housing would help, but it would also make the hoses heavier, less flexible, and harder to cool.
In short, the copper thieves, for now, have the upper hand.
naftemporiki.gr