Electric vehicle push raises copper questions | READER COMMENTARY

EV charging stations make a tempting target for copper thieves.

Reading the Associated Press article, “Thieves cut charging cables” (June 12), it’s interesting that anyone finally thought having cables, thick and heavy with copper, sitting out in the open for anyone’s use might be a liability. In Baltimore, thieves steal copper downspouts in the more upscale neighborhoods. Recently, my property was broken into and all the copper water lines in the basement cut and removed. The job was very skillfully done by what I would call professional copper thieves. Neighbors saw and heard nothing. The police officer arrived and basically just handed me a slip of paper, a crime report. I need to secure the house. Nothing to be done.

So, of course, hearing the whining in the article by Electrify America’s Anthony Lambkin of how people depend on electric vehicle charging stations to get to work, kids to school, medical appointments, etc., coupled with the report of one EV station in Seattle having its cables cut six times makes me understand the officer who handed me my slip. There was nothing to be done. You simply can’t put a high priced semi-precious metal out in the open in an EV station for the public use like that.

The real question is, however, with all the research going into the EV push and nationwide crime on the rise, why didn’t someone think of that before?

— Georgia Corso, Baltimore

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