Cable thefts on the rise at Germany's EV charging stations
Germany’s largest EV charging operators report a sharp rise in cable thefts and sabotage in 2025, with EnBW alone logging over 900 incidents, prompting concerns over infrastructure security and growing financial losses.
- Life
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 10:12 | 13 October 2025
Cable thefts and acts of sabotage at electric vehicle charging stations are on the rise across Germany, operators said, reporting a sharp increase in incidents compared with previous years.
EnBW, Germany's largest charging network operator, said it had recorded more than 900 cable thefts this year across over 130 fast-charging sites. The damage currently amounts to the low single-digit million euro range, a company spokesperson said, adding that losses had been lower in previous years.
Charge point operator EWE Go said it had seen a significant increase as well: "While we recorded only a low double-digit number of cases between 2022 and 2024, the number in 2025 has risen to the mid to high double digits," the company said.
Munich-based Ionity, a pan-European charging network, reported only a handful of cable thefts in Germany and the United Kingdom between 2022 and 2024, but said that figure had climbed to just over 100 cases across Europe this year.
Police data does not currently capture cable thefts from charging stations separately, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office said.
"Cable theft is frustrating in every respect," said Volker Rimpler, chief technology officer for e-mobility at EnBW, adding that drivers cannot charge and operators face considerable financial losses. He said EnBW reports every single theft to police and is working with investigators on preventive measures.