Cable thefts at charging stations: arrests continue, but convictions are still pending
Nine million euros in damages for charging station operators, with over 427 complaints filed: cable thefts from charging stations are on the rise alongside rising copper prices. In recent months, several thieves who carried out large-scale raids on charging stations have been arrested, but only a small fraction have been convicted.
Breaking into an abandoned charging station at night, cutting the cables one after another in just a few minutes, and then leaving with loot worth thousands of euros to be sold to unscrupulous scrap dealers. By stealing cables attached to electric vehicle charging stations on a large scale, the criminals thought they had found the perfect source of income. But this practice has become so widespread that authorities can now catch many of its perpetrators.
This is the case with these two individuals, who were arrested on September 15 in Vitrolles (Bouches-du-Rhône) following technical investigations and police surveillance. They are alleged to have stolen as many as 52 cables from charging stations in the department, causing a loss of 120,000 euros. Under judicial supervision, the pair will stand trial in November.
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Charging stations—a easy target for gangs and lone offenders
In January 2026, several masked men were caught red-handed in Saint-Chamond (Loire), cutting the cables of multiple stations located on an A47 highway rest area. Police officers arrested two of them after a chase. Another man in his twenties, also caught stealing in Lieusaint (Seine-et-Marne) in February, is accused of causing 260,000 euros in damage by cutting the cables of eight charging stations. Notable are the significant differences in the estimated damages between one case and another.
A similar case occurred in Chantilly (Oise), where a young man looking for easy money was arrested by police patrolling near charging stations following a tip-off. Admitting to eight thefts, he told authorities he learned the stealing techniques from TikTok and hoped to resell his loot for 8.5 euros per kilo. That’s a negligible amount compared to the huge scale of damage caused. He was released after 24 hours in custody and summoned for a future trial.
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A historic first conviction
In June, the court in Évry-Courcouronnes (Essonne) sentenced two men responsible for numerous thefts of charging cables to 12 months in prison with a monitoring bracelet for one and 12 months suspended for the other. This was a first-ever historic conviction highly anticipated by those involved in public charging infrastructure.
While arrests are increasing, several perpetrators remain awaiting trial, and convictions are issued sparingly. There are also those who will never face consequences due to not being caught. Many charging stations are located in very remote areas with low traffic, lacking both surveillance cameras and witnesses.
If charging station operators gradually equip themselves with cable theft prevention systems, some have already shown their limitations. All that remains for them is to find an infallible method to combat this scourge, which can be very disruptive for electric vehicle users.