Electric car charger cables in Germany increasingly targeted for theft, with an average of 70 charging points being stripped daily for their copper scrap value

In recent times, the electric car charging industry in Germany has been faced with a significant challenge - the escalating issue of cable theft. According to reports, the theft of charging cables has become a growing concern, with incidents increasing notably in the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Lower Saxony.

EnBW, Germany's largest fast-charging network operator, has reported that 2025 has been the worst year yet for cable theft. In response, the company has increased video surveillance at its charging stations. However, this operational tweak does not prevent cable theft, and the issue continues to pose a significant problem.

One of the most notable incidents occurred in a single day, when Golem.de reported that 70 charging station cables were stolen. Philipp Senoner, CEO of Alpitronic, corroborated this figure, stating that 70 cables were cut daily.

The scale of cable theft has become difficult for repairers and cabling suppliers to keep up with the work. To address this, Alpitronic has implemented a software update to quickly register cable theft.

The local Polizei could provide a quote regarding cable theft at charging stations, but no specific police officer or person in the police force has been identified or named in public sources as speaking on the issue. The search results report increasing cable thefts, with police notices requesting witnesses, but do not mention any named official statements from police representatives on this topic.

The theft of charging cables will put an affected station out of action for around two weeks. This downtime can cause inconvenience for both businesses and electric car owners, as the cost to businesses for a stolen cable is significantly more than the copper value. A single electric car charging cable is approximately €40 ($47) in value, but the disruption and repair costs far exceed this figure.

The source report suggests that there may be conspiracy theories surrounding the cable thefts. However, it is important to maintain a factual approach to reporting, focusing on the facts and the impact of the issue on the industry and the public.

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Electric car charger cables in Germany increasingly targeted for theft, with an average of 70 charging points being stripped daily for their copper scrap value