As electric vehicle (EV) adoption continues to accelerate, one challenge remains stubbornly persistent across UK cities and urban hubs: charging cable theft and vandalism.
For fleet operators, public sector bodies, and charging infrastructure providers, the theft of EV charging cables is not merely an inconvenience—it’s a barrier to uptime, safety, and user trust. With each stolen or damaged cable, charging availability drops, maintenance costs rise, and confidence in EV infrastructure erodes.
At FleetWise, we’ve been tracking this issue closely. Below, we explore how innovators like ChargePoint are addressing the problem head-on—and what lessons fleet managers can take away.
The Scope of the Challenge
From roadside units in city centres to workplace charging bays, EV charging points across the UK have increasingly become targets for cable theft and tampering. These incidents are particularly common in unmanned or high-traffic locations, where cables may be exposed overnight or during off-peak hours.
The implications are serious:
Downtime and loss of service for drivers.
Increased repair and replacement costs for charge point operators (CPOs) and landlords.
Reputational risk for fleet owners, councils, and businesses promising reliable EV services.
In short, an unprotected charging cable is a liability—both operationally and financially.
ChargePoint’s Anti-Theft Innovation: A Case in Resilience
In January 2025, ChargePoint introduced a new anti-theft EV charging cable—an engineering response to a growing operational threat.
The solution was developed after extensive research into regions most affected by cable vandalism, including parts of London, Manchester, Birmingham, and dense European metro areas.
Key features of the solution include:
Enhanced locking mechanisms that physically secure the cable to the charger when not in use.
Tamper-resistant materials, specially engineered to withstand cutting, forced removal, and tool attacks.
Integrated alert sensors that notify operators instantly of any unauthorised interference—before damage is done.
This proactive approach combines both mechanical resilience and smart monitoring, offering a level of deterrence not previously standardised in AC charging solutions.
Impact: Uptime, Cost Control, and Driver Trust
The results from ChargePoint’s early deployments have been compelling:
Improved station uptime, with fewer charging interruptions caused by missing or damaged cables.
Lower maintenance costs, thanks to a sharp reduction in emergency callouts and cable replacements.
Increased driver confidence, particularly among company car drivers relying on consistent access to charge points outside the workplace.
This shift is particularly impactful for mixed-fuel fleets, where a damaged charge point can tip the balance toward ICE vehicle use or risk route disruption altogether.
Lessons for Fleet and Infrastructure Managers
The ChargePoint example underscores a vital truth: securing the physical components of EV infrastructure is just as important as managing software and energy supply.
Here are four key takeaways for fleet and infrastructure leaders:
-
Audit Exposure Points
Assess your EV infrastructure portfolio—whether public or semi-private—for points of vulnerability, particularly in areas with low footfall or overnight access. -
Invest in Theft-Resistant Technology
Work with suppliers offering hardened cable systems and locking hardware, or retrofit protections where possible. -
Enable Real-Time Alerts
Ensure your charge point network has the capability to detect tampering, disconnections, or abnormal use patterns—feeding alerts to a central monitoring system. -
Make Security Part of Procurement
When selecting new charge point providers, evaluate their approach to physical asset protection—not just their charging speeds or software integration.
Looking Ahead
As the UK scales up its EV charging infrastructure to meet net zero goals, cable security will become a fundamental expectation—not a bonus feature.
Innovations like ChargePoint’s anti-theft cable are a step forward, but also a call to action. Fleet operators, councils, and developers must take a holistic view of infrastructure resilience, treating physical security as core to their electrification strategies.
Because for every disconnected cable, there’s a disrupted journey. And in the world of fleet, downtime is not an option.