EV Chargers and Theft – Can Someone Steal My Electric Vehicle Charger?

Dedicated home electric vehicle chargers are becoming increasingly popular alongside the rise of electric vehicles. Therefore, it’s no surprise that people are starting to fret about whether someone could “steal” their electric vehicle charger, whether it be their cable or their energy.

However, in short, it is highly unlikely that anyone will steal your electric vehicle charger or use it without your permission, especially with a smart charger.

Keep reading to find out why.

Can someone steal my EV charger?

First of all, the possibility of someone pulling up on your property, plugging in, and charging on your property (bear in mind that home EV charging on average can take up to 7 hours for a full charge) and then leaving without you or a neighbour knowing, is ridiculously slim. It’s also a lot of effort, and in terms of monetary value, the intruder will realistically only be stealing a couple of pence’s worth of electricity.

Another element that needs to be considered is how many people have electric vehicles. Whilst the amount of people transitioning to electric is on the rise, petrol and diesel cars are still predominant in the market. However, it’s only human nature to worry about potential theft, and no matter how small, it is not ideal.

However, if your electric vehicle charger is smart, you have no reason to worry.

Let’s get into how you can prevent unwanted use with your smart EV charger:

Charge Scheduling: 

Charge scheduling has many benefits; not only is it more convenient, but it can also help save you money by charging when the demand for the electricity grid is low. But did you know it can help protect your EV charger from unwanted charger use? Set your EV to only charge during specific hours, and nobody will be able to use your charger outside of your designated hours, i.e. create a schedule for late evenings when you are home, so nobody will be able to use your charger throughout the day.

Invest in a smart electric vehicle charger with specific theft protection:

It’s common for smart electric vehicle chargers to come with certain theft deterrent features.

Here are just a few:

Easee One – With just the click of a button, you get to decide whether you would like a tethered or non-tethered EV charging unit with the Easee One. Acting as a universal charger, you can permanently lock your socketed cable into place with cable lock, giving it the look and feel of a tethered EV charger. Just keep it in the ‘Always Locked’ state, whereby the cable is locked into the unit until changed on the App. Or, if you prefer to keep your Easee charging robot untethered, you can still remotely lock and easily unlock your charge from the app to ensure no unauthorised use.

MyEnergi Zappi – Keep your Zappi secure using its built-in PIN code system. Simply input your five-digit pin to lock and unlock your EV charger.

Can someone steal my electric vehicle charging cable? Which electric vehicle charger is more secure – tethered or socketed (untethered)?

Most socketed (untethered) electric vehicle chargers come with protective smart features, as mentioned before; however, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of cable theft, tethered units are usually more secure than socketed units. This comes down to how tethered chargers come with the cable permanently attached to the unit, making it essentially impossible to remove. Whereas socketed, if not locked in place, can be removed from the unit.

However, as mentioned before, most socketed units come with security features. For example, your cable will be locked into place with the Easee One and its cable lock/unlock, imitating a tethered unit and offering the same protection as it will be irremovable. If your electric vehicle charger doesn’t have these features and is socketed, you can always remove your cable and keep it elsewhere. Whether it be in your car boot or garage, you won’t have to worry about cable theft as it will be hidden from view.

Are you looking to get a home smart EV charger installed? We Power Your Car can sort it for you.

If you are looking to get an EV charger installed at your home, click below to get your free quote, or contact us for more information or any queries you may have.

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