Vandalised chargers

[Coulomb]

Uk more affluent than the USA???

Well, fewer desperately poor people in the UK, I would think and hope. In the USA, inequality of all income is huge, and increasing.

 

[EvTek23]

Came across this vandalised fast charger last night. The two CCS and Chademo cables, all removed for their hefty copper content, it hasn't been installed for long either, but with minimal security it's soon been targeted by cable thieves.

 

[5teep]

They're going to have to start protecting those cables the same way they do ATMs, indelible dye or something.

 

[salty]

We can only hope, they barbecued themselves.

 

[securespark]

In a stand-by state, they will have no voltage in the tethered lead other than the pilot signal that allows communication between the vehicle and the charging station. This is SELV, usually 12V.
Cutting that will trigger a shutdown of the charging station to prevent any flow of electricity.

There would also be Residual Current Devices inside the cabinet protecting both the AC and DC outputs but I'm not sure anybody has been crazy enough yet to hack a cable off while it's been in use....

 

[Archev]

We can only hope, they barbecued themselves.

Compassion personified

 

[EvTek23]

@Coulomb replied earlier in the thread with:

"I've seen a video of someone cutting the cable to a Tesla while it was charging! The resulting arc was impressive. The thief would no doubt need a new cable cutter and set of underwear"

 

[Archev]

@Coulomb replied earlier in the thread with:

"I've seen a video of someone cutting the cable to a Tesla while it was charging! The resulting arc was impressive. The thief would no doubt need a new cable cutter and set of underwear"

And be glad he could still use both I should think

 

[salty]

And be glad he could still use both I should think

Yep, char grilled balls, spring to mind.

 

[MG Clive]

Yep, char grilled balls, spring to mind.

Your mind, maybe.

 

[Ian Key]

Yep, char grilled balls, spring to mind.

Image of

 

[MG Clive]

View attachment 39200

Ahh, and it all becomes clear now.

 

[mGizmo]

@Coulomb replied earlier in the thread with:

"I've seen a video of someone cutting the cable to a Tesla while it was charging! The resulting arc was impressive. The thief would no doubt need a new cable cutter and set of underwear"

Probably after a Darwin Award...

 

[Kevin Smith]

Uk more affluent than the USA???

No it's not really about wealth but about the wealth gap - USA the poor are poorer and the rich richer than UK.

 

[DBedford]

Stealing electrical cable when you don't know whether it's live is not the brightest of ideas. It's certainly not unknown for thieves to lose their lives as a result.

I guess with no car on the end the cable will always be dead!!

 

[securespark]

There is usually an SELV 12V voltage in the cable so the charging station can detect when a vehicle is connected.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

In the 1980s Widnes council wanted a new sewer system to carry industrial and chemical waste. This sewer followed the river Mersey and railway joining up the chemical factories to a collection/treatment works. The concrete tube needed protecting and I had the unenviable job of painting on 2 coats of epoxy resin 15 m underground. The manholes were around 500m apart for access and we had diesel generators for electrical supply and lighting.

Getting into the swing of things and a few weeks in, turned up in the morning , unloaded the van, all materials down the hole, fill generator with diesel (good for 5 hours) and start-up and down we went. 250m in to yesterday's finishing point. Set out your day's work, mix resin and hardener (good for a hour) and start rollering it on. 15 minutes later, lights flicker and go out!!!! Pitch black. Crawl, staggered walk out to the tiny pinprick of light 250 m away, up the ladders and pop out to find a bunch of gypsies burning off last night's haul of railway cabling using the diesel out of our genny as start up fuel. Cue Irish accents: "Aw, all right lad, didn't think you'd mind if we had a little of your diesel to start up our fire." ????

Ever so slightly outnumbered and knowing there was a great big hole behind me and out in the wastelands of Widnes, I had to be indignant/diplomatic and uncharacteristically tough in putting my point of view across. (At least the genny wasn't on fire.) No mobiles in those days; the nearest phone box miles away. No coppers in sight, apart from that slowly emerging from its plastic casing as the black smoke merged with that from the distant factories.

Detente was reached, I filled up the genny and gave the remainder to my new friends with the promise they would leave it alone?? Which to be fair they did. Back down the hole, crawl/stagger to find a hardened 15l bucket of epoxy, which was 75 quid back then. We ended up 10m short of our target that day, but had an early finish, and then an undeserved ear bashing from the boss when back in the depot.