Copper thieves strike in Cologne-Sülz: charging station has to wait for months!

Copper thieves strike in Cologne-Sülz: charging station has to wait for months!

Another brazen theft occurred in Cologne-Sülz: the cables of a charging station for electric cars were cut and stolen. This charging station on the God's Way was not only badly damaged, but the power cable, which contains valuable copper, was also stolen. This is part of an alarming series of incidents that have affected over 60 cables at TankE GmbH in Cologne since the beginning of the year. The thieves are after the valuable raw material, which is currently very popular, which makes the theft particularly attractive. Loud Review online The repair costs for the affected charging station amount to several thousand euros.

The situation not only poses immense challenges for operators, but also causes frustration among e-car drivers. The charging infrastructure is under increasing strain, as repairing a charging station damaged by thieves can take at least a month. This is particularly problematic because the technicians are already very busy and the charging stations are often offline for long periods of time. The value of the stolen copper per cable is between 40 and 60 euros - which is often more than the costs for the operators. The financial losses are almost exorbitant.

Increasing thefts nationwide

The development in Cologne reflects a nationwide trend: cable thefts at fast charging stations are increasing sharply throughout Germany. The operator EnBW has already registered 750 stolen cables at around 120 locations this year. The repairs cost EnBW an estimated several million euros and there is no significant reduction in thefts in sight. Companies like Mer have also encountered similar problems in other countries. In some cases, the affected charging stations are out of operation for up to two weeks, which means that operators not only have to contend with high costs, but also with lost sales, while the infrastructure suffers Car picture reported.

The trend can be observed particularly in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, with other cities such as Duisburg and Bochum also being severely affected. The perpetrators' approach is usually the same: they wait in unmonitored areas or at night in order to carry out their actions undisturbed. Police have difficulty collecting accurate statistics, but the industry suspects organized crime could be behind many of the thefts ecomento.de.

Frustration and search for solutions

Operators are forced to find new ways to protect infrastructure. Technical solutions such as GPS systems, mechanical locks and protective covers are increasingly in demand. However, despite efforts, complete security remains a distant goal. Suspicious observations at charging points should be reported to the police immediately in order to classify them not only as vandalism, but also as targeted theft against the valuable raw material copper. The pressure on operators is growing to counteract the sometimes serious damage and the long downtime of the charging stations.

This development comes at a time when demand for electric cars and the associated charging infrastructure is increasing rapidly. Such a scenario could seriously jeopardize the acceptance of e-mobility and the restructuring of the infrastructure if countermeasures are not taken in time.