Electric car charger crime soars as criminals could face tough punishments - 'Action needs to be taken!'

The two worst-affected areas for EV charger crimes were Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, where more than 100 cases were recorded.

Criminals around the country are targeting electric vehicle charging stations for the sake of the copper wire inside the cables.

While the value of copper inside can be worth just £15 or £20, criminals continue to target EV chargers in the hopes of extracting the metal.

Experts have also warned that the issue could get worse as more chargers are installed and that preventative action is needed to curb the crimes.

Paz Sharma, managing director of Allego UK, has urged other EV chargepoint operators to adapt to benefit other motorists who are looking to switch to other EVs.

He said: "While we are far from crisis mode, this research is a warning sign that action needs to be taken to bring EV criminals to book.

"It's not about the £25 scrap metal value or even the cost of replacing damaged chargers, which runs into thousands of pounds - it's about giving the nation the best chance of securing its clean transport future."

However, he acknowledged that there could be a "much more serious problem" based on the latest data.

Mr Sharma has joined calls to designate electric vehicle chargers as critical infrastructure, which would see criminals hit with harsher punishments.

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He also advocates for the introduction of a new "EV taskforce", which would combine Government, industry and law enforcement to tackle the growing concerns.

Mr Sharma continued, saying: “Unfortunately, we believe this to be a much more serious problem than the figures indicate, as our FOI investigation flagged that a number of police forces were not in a position to provide information on such incidents.

"Based on what we hear from the industry and the prevalence of unreported cases, I wouldn't be surprised if as many as one in 20 charging sites are being targeted."

At present, the Zapmap database shows that there are more than 86,000 charging devices across the country, at more than 43,500 different locations.

The UK now has more than 120,000 EV charging connectors installed, as experts hope for 300,000 chargers to be operational by the end of the decade.

Vicky Read, CEO of ChargeUK, added: "Cable theft has swiftly become one of the most pressing issues facing the EV charging sector, creating a costly distraction to the nationwide rollout which is underway and ultimately negatively impacting drivers.

"Charge point operators are implementing innovative solutions to prevent this crime and we are working with members to share best practices and engage the appropriate law enforcement agencies.

"Ultimately, a collaborative response between the industry, police and the Home Office is required to tackle this growing problem."