It's not just Poland that has problems with cable theft. IECharge chose kevlar. And those scumbags are already breaking into cabinets.
Across Europe, we are facing a real plague of thefts of high-power fast charging cables. The French company IECharge claimed to have tested various solutions over three months and decided, among other things, to use cables with kevlar protective covers. This is because thieves, for a few hundred zlotys in profit, cause losses that are dozens of times greater and, most importantly, undermine trust in the charging infrastructure, including electric vehicles.
Charging cable thefts. Marking fluids, kevlar covers, cables with GPS transmitters
Theft of fast charging cables triggers reactions of helpless anger. Among the punishments suggested online are understandable proposals such as crushing fingers without anesthesia, amputating hands, or applying voltage to the cable if damage to the casing is detected. Worse still, according to some leaks, such offenses would initially result in dismissals due to “low social harm,” were it not for the fact that the thieves were repeat offenders who had accumulated a considerable number of offenses by the time they were caught.
/Below is a video of a cable theft from a ChargeIn charger in Wrocław, recorded in February 2026/
Several methods have been invented to protect cables. In 2025, ChargePoint developed cables wrapped in hardened steel and “polymer materials,” and it equipped chargers with alarms that activate simultaneously when the device detects a cut in one of the protective layers. The downsides? Such cables are still vulnerable to angle grinders and are also heavier, making them less convenient to use; thus, the protective layer mainly serves as a deterrent. To reduce their weight, the outer shielding was decided to be made from other materials, including Kevlar, a material used in bulletproof vests among other things. Finnish company Kempower likely chose this approach, and the French operator IECharge is also starting to use a similar solution from Amphenol, as it was deemed to offer the best balance of capabilities and cost:
A charger with Amphenol wires that make theft difficult (c) IECharge / X
The outermost part of the wires can contain labeled liquids that spray on thieves, leaving invisible traces to the naked eye and marks that cannot be washed off, thus helping to link criminals to more than one theft case — when the total damage is large enough, these cases are not dropped. Some companies boast about additional GPS transmitters built into the casing to locate storage areas, processing sites, or scrap recycling points whose owners do not ask about the origin of the copper.
The CableGuard solution by (c) Kempower
The boldest thieves who don’t want to deal with cable security systems try to break in directly to the charging stations. Fortunately for us, many operators use satellite chargers and well-secured cabinets for the main modules. Additionally, the interiors of chargers are under high voltage, so entering without proper protection poses a significant risk of losing limbs or even one’s life.
Thank you, Electra, for sharing this!
Live CCTV footage of CCS fast charging cable thefts
Quoting the CEO:
“Almost every single night, charging cables are cut and stolen.
It’s not an accident.
It’s done by organized gangs.”
⚡️⚡️⚡️#alwaysbecharging pic.twitter.com/98rqI4gtFj
— Felix Hamer • electricfelix (@electricfelix) February 26, 2026
Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: The issue is so urgent that the Polish charging solutions provider, EVB (PRE Biel stations), is organizing a special panel this year on theft and prevention methods. Szymon Biel invited us to sponsor the conference, but the discussions dragged on a bit, so just for transparency — we’re informing you. The discount code is 25 EVBPD for up to 25% off, though you won’t find this information from us, as it seems that detail wasn’t meant to reach us
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