Photo: Charging networks operated by Tesla and other companies are targeted by thieves. \Associated Press

[Ta Kung Pao News]According to the Associated Press: The United States is not only facing a shortage of electric vehicle charging stations, but also frequent thefts of charging station cables, further slowing down the pace of electric vehicle transformation. The thieves’ purpose is to sell the copper cables, which can be sold for $15 to $20 each. However, it costs about $1,000 for a charging station to replace a cut cable.

Electrify America, the second largest fast charging network operator in the United States, said that two years ago, the theft of charging pile cables occurred on average once every six months, but 129 such incidents have occurred in the first five months of this year. Electrify America operates 968 charging stations across the United States, with a total of 4,400 charging piles. Two other charging pile operating companies, Flo and EVgo, have encountered the same problem. Tesla, which operates the largest fast charging network in the United States, has not escaped. The thieves visited Tesla’s charging stations in Seattle, Oakland, Houston and other places. In one case, 18 of the 19 cables at a Tesla charging station were stolen. When the police arrived at the scene to investigate, 10 cars that needed charging returned disappointed in just 5 minutes.

International copper prices have risen recently, reaching a record high of nearly $5.2 per pound at the end of May, partly because a large amount of copper wire is needed to manufacture electric vehicles. Charging station companies point out that there is actually not much copper in the cables, and thieves can get about $15 to $20 for selling a cable at a scrap yard, but the cost of replacing a cut cable is extremely high. In Minneapolis, the city government spends about $1,000 to replace a cable for a charging station.