Copper wire thefts hit 650 electric vehicle charging stations in France this year

Copper cable thefts have affected 650 electric vehicle charging stations across France since the beginning of the year, causing an estimated €13 million (about $15 million) in losses, an industry representative said Friday.

Matthieu Dischamps, secretary-general of Charge France and managing director of charging operator Powerdot, told French broadcaster BFMTV that the thefts were also disrupting travel for the country's 3 million electric vehicle users and discouraging other motorists from switching to electric cars.

Public fast-charging stations are particularly vulnerable because their cables are attached to the units and remain easily accessible, Dischamps said.

Thieves receive only around €20 to €30 for the copper in each stolen cable, while replacing one costs operators approximately €1,500, he added.

Charging companies have introduced reinforced cable protection, video surveillance and GPS tracking devices in response. Some cables are also being filled with pressurized methylene blue, which leaves an invisible, indelible trace on offenders to help police identify them.

Authorities in the most affected departments have begun incorporating charging stations into police and gendarmerie patrol routes. Operators' telephone numbers are also receiving priority status so authorities can respond more quickly when companies detect cables being cut.

Dischamps warned that around 10% of France's charging network had been affected and that continued thefts could lead to higher charging prices or even bankruptcies among some operators.

Copper theft has also disrupted telecommunications infrastructure.

Jean-Philippe Brun, mayor of Porte-de-Seine in the northwestern Eure department, said the entire municipality lost internet and telephone services late Wednesday after thieves cut cables in eight underground access points spread across approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

The thieves apparently cut both copper and fiber-optic lines because they could not distinguish between them, he said.

Brun said the perpetrators appeared to be highly organized, as removing and transporting cables over such a distance would probably require a truck.

The gendarmerie has opened an investigation.

Fiber-optic services were subsequently restored, but residents still relying on copper telephone connections, particularly older people who may need to contact emergency services, were most severely affected.