SEATTLE — Copper wire thieves in Washington have started eyeing a new target: electric vehicle (EV) charging cords.
"Thieves will take that opportunity to take that cable and get that copper if they can, if it's left unattended," said Sgt. Brian Pritchard, a spokesperson with the Seattle Police Department.
According to the Department of Energy, Washington is among the top handful of states with the highest number of EVs registered.
As a result of recent thefts, the Seattle Police Department is sharing tips with KING 5 on how to protect your charger's safety.
Susan Howell of Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood said she recently went to her carport to get in her electric vehicle. That's when she noticed what became a costly inconvenience.
"The cord had been cut," she said. "And then they cut it off at the way back, inside the garage where it's attached to the electric outlet.”
She had to spend nearly $200 to replace the charger, in her words, "for someone's five minutes of mischief to make a few bucks.”
But her costs didn’t end there; her carport didn’t used to have a door.
"It never occurred to me someone would come in and steal the copper wire in my cable," said Howell.
After the theft, she bought a door for the alley-facing carport and had it installed. That required shelving out hundreds more dollars.
"For a few minutes of their time," she said, versus "what it costs me in time and anxiety and workers and all that money.”
She said it was a frustrating experience and made her feel less safe.
Seattle Police Department's Sgt. Pritchard said the best protection is supervision and surveillance.
"Stay with the vehicle if you can while it's being charged," said Pritchard.
If the charger’s kept out of sight, it’ll be more out of mind for a thief, according to Pritchard.
Pritchard also pointed us to the Department of Energy’s website, which has plenty of ideas for keeping thieves away from EV charging cables.