The Expert Podcast

If you're building EV charging stations as a contractor, you might want to look at hardening some of the structures to make sure that they're not vulnerable to copper theft. Inside those charging stations, there’s a lot of valuable copper, and since they’re out in the open and not enclosed in a building, copper thieves target them. It's very dangerous—there are high voltages involved—but these copper thieves may face the effects of Darwin’s Law. The stupid ones are likely to get electrocuted, while the smart ones may figure out how to steal the copper without getting electrocuted.

Regardless, those structures, pedestals, or whatever you're using to build the EV charging stations should be hardened. You might want to recommend to your client to make sure they’re secure, so they don’t have to come back and rebuild the structure or repair damage at some point in the future when someone steals the copper. This is an increasing type of crime. As more charging stations are built, especially in more locations, the crime is bound to rise.

One of the biggest problems is that, until now, the charging stations were located in high-traffic retail areas, like shopping centers and parking lots. But as the charging network expands, some of these stations are now being placed in less conspicuous, more out-of-the-way areas, making them more vulnerable to crime, including vandalism and copper theft.

Keep this in mind as a contractor: when you’re building these structures, consider the security aspect in your design, layout, and even the placement of these items for your client.