More than 1 million people have an EV car in the UK, and the number is rising, but the rollout could be stalled by a new type of crime – charging cable theft.
Electric vehicles have gone from being prohibitively expensive to almost every car brand featuring one, with new ones retailing for less than £20,000.
Up to 11 million UK motorists could drive electric by 2030, and you will be hard pressed to find a forecourt without an EV charging point.
Criminals have also caught on to the trend, with a record number of sites being targeted for one valuable part – the charging cables.
The trend is showing signs of becoming what catalytic converter theft is for petrol and diesel vehicles. The motoring expert, RAC, reported nearly 100,000 catalytic converter thefts between 2019 and 2022.
Around 30 police forces across the UK logged over 200 cases of cable theft and vandalism between 2022 and June 2025, according to an FOI by charging operator Allego UK.
South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire saw over 100 incidents between them since 2022.
Allego UK said the figures could be just the tip of the iceberg due to underreporting and lack of data from around 15 forces.
But why are thieves suddenly targeting the cables?
Their eyes are set on the copper running inside the cable, which can be separated from the materials.
Whereas catalytic converters, which filter the exhaust fumes, contain even more precious platinum, palladium and rhodium, EV cables themselves are not as valuable.
One chargepoint is estimated to contain around £20 worth of copper as scrap metal.
It might not sound like much, but copper shortages have seen demand of and price for the metal surge.
The biggest cost will fall on the charger operator, who could end up paying thousands to repair each damaged charge point.
Cutting a live cable with high-voltage electricity can also be fatal for the criminals.
In March, a man was caught red-handed sawing through a cable in Wednesbury at a Be.EV forecourt.
The operator issued a wanted poster with the text: ‘This thug’s stupidity in stealing copper cables worth £15 each or less, means drivers can’t charge their EVs and his actions risked serious harm by electrocution.’
Vicky Reid, the CEO of ChargeUK, the trade body for the UK EV industry, warned that the issue could hamper the electrification efforts and hurt drivers down the line.
She said: ‘Cable theft has swiftly become one of the most pressing issues facing the EV charging sector, creating a costly distraction to the nationwide rollout which is underway and ultimately negatively impacting drivers.
‘Charge point operators are implementing innovative solutions to prevent this crime and we are working with members to share best practices and engage the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Ultimately, a collaborative response between the industry, police and the Home Office is required to tackle this growing problem.’
So, what is being done to tackle EV cable theft?
Operators are trying to get ahead of savvy criminals, with brands introducing ways to make it harder for the cables to be cut.
InstaVolt, another UK charging operator, is using a system called CableGuard, which protects the cable and can be traced, AI-powered CCTV and security patrols.
InstaVolt’s CEO, Delvin Lane, revealed that the cost of replacing a cable is around £1,000, while CableGuard costs £400.
He told This is Money that cable theft is now part of organised crime.
In the US, Pando Electric says it has created the world’s first flexible charging points, which allow customers or forecourt operators to plug in a new cable if one is damaged in order to continue operating.
Usually at a commercial, high-voltage charging point, the cable installation has to be done by an electrician, according to EV Infrastructure News.
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