Cable theft disrupts InstaVolt and EnBW charging networks

Cable theft has damaged electric-vehicle charging networks run by InstaVolt in the UK and EnBW in Germany, creating repair costs and leaving affected charging bays unusable, Tech.eu reported on 23 October. The operators' reported losses cover thefts dating back to 2025.

Charging cables connect vehicles to chargers. Cutting or removing a cable can therefore take the affected bay out of service, even if the rest of the site remains usable. The operators' reported figures do not specify how long charging bays were unusable or how many drivers were affected.

Pollard describes repeated theft of replacement cables

Vern Pollard, a director at cable-protection company Formula Space, told Tech.eu that thieves sometimes return after replacement cables are fitted. He described one UK site where replacement cables were stolen three times in succession, each time within 24 hours of reinstallation. Pollard said the operator subsequently installed Formula Space’s highest level of CableGuard protection and that no further thefts occurred at that location during the following three months. That account comes from a supplier with a commercial interest in theft prevention.

InstaVolt has worked with Formula Space on earlier versions of CableGuard, a protective sleeve intended to slow cutting while keeping cables flexible enough for drivers to connect their vehicles. Pollard acknowledged that determined groups with enough time and suitable equipment have still removed protected cables. The company’s aim is to delay an attack and increase the risk of detection, not to make theft impossible.