Since November 2023 Instavolt reported 174 stolen cables displaying a growth in EV charging station-related crime across the UK. Learn about how you can avoid becoming the next victim of this with our tips on how to boost your security below.
A growth in the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry has also seen a growth in EV charging station-related crime such as copper theft, vandalism, and cyber attacks.
Keeping up with this growth can be difficult, making security central to maintaining the safety of your EV stations for yourself and those using them. However, to understand the best response to this, you need to be aware of the dangers and the reason behind the development of this type of crime.
Understanding the Rise in Electric Cars
In 2024, 19.6% of new cars sold in the UK were electric. This is up from 16.5% in 2023 meaning there were a record number of electric cars sold in the UK last year.
There are a number of factors that have led to a rise in electric car sales and this is only expected to continue in future:
- Environmental benefits - Electric vehicles have a lower environmental impact than gasoline-powered cars as they produce no tailpipe emissions.
- Boost in Government support - Due to the environmental benefits and UK’s Net Zero promise, there has been a boost in Government support for electric vehicles. For example, offering grants to individuals to support the purchase or charging of them as an incentive to switch from petrol vehicles.
- Technological advancements - Following the development of battery-powered cars, more companies have ventured into this offering as batteries are cheap and charging capabilities have increased making them more popular to produce and buy nowadays.
- Increase in consumer demand - Over the years there has been a shift in the consumer demand for electric cars with more individuals now looking to buy one and choosing to have personal cars over car shares.
As much as this rise benefits the industry and has led to an increase in EV charging stations across the nation, this has also increased the security risks now posed towards them as thieves are recognising them as places to target.
The Security Risks to EV Charging Stations
Following a growth in the demand of electric cars, criminals have begun to take advantage of this and this has led to a steady increase in EV station crime over recent years.
There are three main security risks to EV charging stations that you should be aware of:
Copper and Cable Theft
EV charging cables are often made of copper, and as copper prices have risen over recent years due to a shortage in supply, thieves and Organised Crime Gangs (OCGs) have begun to target EV stations due to this.
Some chargers can be easily accessed, especially those in public spaces. Thieves will often cut the cable from the EV station and resell the copper in order to profit off of it themselves.
Copper theft is an increasingly common crime appearing across the nation and this is likely to grow as the resale price continues to rise.
For the thieves, this process is simple, however, the repercussions for you are much greater. EV charging stations will be unusable, impacting you financially and those utilising those services. You will also need to replace the cabling to ensure it is functional again.
This creates further financial implications for you and could take time depending on the available supply and process required to complete the repair or replacement.
Vandalism
Unfortunately, EV charging stations are prone to vandalism. Due to often being placed outside and in more open locations, they make for perfect targets for criminals.
Vandalism can occur for no real reason, but to simply disrupt your business, and that it does.
If your EV charging stations appear damaged in any way this can deter potential users from utilising your chargers and disrupt any current users also. It presents the idea that your EV stations are at risk and therefore could place their vehicle at risk too.
Cyber Attacks
EV charging stations use the internet to run their network for charging which leaves them vulnerable to potential cyber attacks.
There are many reasons EV charging stations may be targeted in a cyber attack:
- Gain access to the EV systems for data or blackmail.
- Steal electricity by manipulating billing systems.
- Disrupt operations with ransomware.
- Damage the power grid or compromise the network.
The damage from cyber attacks extends further than the financial implications, it can cause reputational damage towards the owners leading to distrust from users and even lead to legal ramifications if security was not of standard for them.
All three of the above threats can have devastating damages to owners, some of which may be irreparable. Security is central to maintaining your EV charging stations, their safety and the service for all existing and new users.
How to Secure your EV Charging Stations
Using our knowledge in the various security risks presented to EV charging stations, we formed our top tips on how to secure your EV stations and keeping them safe for your users:
Utilise a Tethered Charger
EV charging cables are often targets for thieves due to the high value copper held within them and are easy to remove in instances where the cable is separate to the station.
Therefore, utilising tethered chargers could help to reduce cable thefts happening to your EV charging stations.
A tethered charger is a cable permanently attached to the station. By permanently attaching the cable to the charger, it will often make it harder for thieves to remove and help to keep your stations usable for drivers.
Implement a CCTV System
CCTV systems provide a visual deterrent to thieves and criminals whilst also monitoring and capturing high-quality video evidence that can be utilised for any criminal proceedings.
This provides an all-rounded approach, by providing security support at every stage.
However, there are multiple CCTV systems available nowadays and selecting the cheapest option may not benefit you the way you expect it to.
For many of the cheaper options, CCTV systems will often be unmonitored and only record the crimes for evidence purposes with no way of responding to it whilst it is actively taking place.
At WCCTV, all our products are backed by remote monitoring services which allows for potential threats to be assessed and responded to appropriately whilst the crime is active. Other options react retrospectively whereas we help to disrupt active crimes, track criminals and record the event for evidence.
Our CCTV Towers also work to deter crime, standing up to 6m tall and being bright yellow in colour, they create a bold security presence and remove any hiding capabilities for criminals.
Use Official Charging Networks
Due to the risk of security breaches and cyber hacks, drivers are more likely to utilise EV charging stations with established and reputable charging networks.
There are many factors in deciding a charging network aside from the reputability, however, for security it is important to keep this in mind and assess the measures put in place by them.
The consequences of a cyber attack can impact you as a business, but more importantly your users, their data and their trust with you.
You have a duty of care to protect individuals’ data and this includes any data captured by your EV charging stations, so be prepared and set up a surveillance system for your parking lot instead of leaving it too late.
Install a Safety Barrier
Where space permits it, installing a safety barrier can help avoid any unwanted damage or unauthorised access to your EV charging stations.
Smaller barriers such as bollards can be used to create difficulty for criminals by restricting access to them.
Criminals take advantage of easy opportunities, so by reducing that ease it will help discourage them from damaging or committing any crimes against your EV charging stations.
Add Security Lighting
Whether you are placing your EV charging stations in your workplace car park or in a public space, always aim to ensure the area has lighting available to it.
You may be thinking that having lighting informs criminals that EV charging stations are present and therefore entices them to the target, however, many crimes take place undercover of darkness.
This is due to the fact it reduces the chance of identification for them.
The best solution to manage both risk factors is to invest in motion-sensored lighting. This ensures your EV stations remain hidden when necessary, however, aim to startle any intruders with lighting when motion is detected.
Keep your EV Charging Stations Secure with WCCTV
The future survival of electric vehicles relies heavily on the maintenance and management of EV charging stations, this includes the security of them.
Repairs and replacement can take time and this may not be as simple in future as copper demand threatens to overtake the global supply of it. This could lead to major delays or worse complete unavailability.
Therefore, getting ahead of your EV charging station security is the best form of protection for you now and for the future.
At WCCTV we have 20-years in specialised security solutions that work within multiple industries including the EV industry. Speak with us today to find out how we can support you!
