Hiding EV charger cords

[SparkyAdam]

Hey guys,

I am quoting a job for a customer who is adding an EV charger to a commercial office building in a really bad area of my city. They are a nonprofit that helps homeless people. The homeless community is sure to notice the EV charger, and we want to make it as difficult as we can for them to steal the copper off of the cord.

I am trying to figure out a creative solution to this. They have a chainlink cage nearby, and we are likely putting the EV charger in that cage. That will certainly help. But I think it would also help to make sure the cord is hidden—out of sight, out of mind, as they say. I was thinking maybe a real cord or something, but it's going to need to be for #4 since it's a continuous load, or maybe a big box that the cord could be kept in? The chainlink cage could also be upgraded from the smaller gauge chainlink to the welded steel version, but that might be outside the budget of a nonprofit.

Has anyone come across something like this? Any ideas?

 

[hillbilly1]

Short of an enclosed garage stall, with key code or biometric access, you’re out of luck.

 

[hbiss]

You going to lock the car in a cage too while it charges??

-Hal

 

[LarryFine]

I'm picturing a lockable cabinet.

 

[letgomywago]

Do they make a Kevlar fabric tube product that can go over it? It'd at least make it harder to steal

 

[LarryFine]

I'm thinking something like this. Will it need to be left unattended? Can it be camera monitored?

 

[hillbilly1]

I'm thinking something like this. Will it need to be left unattended? Can it be camera monitored?

View attachment 2572229

It would probably need to be large enough to enclose the entire unit, including the cable. Thieves nowadays are so brazen they ignore cameras. Locks only keep the honest man out!

 

[LarryFine]

It would probably need to be large enough to enclose the entire unit, including the cable. Thieves nowadays are so brazen they ignore cameras. Locks only keep the honest man out!

Agreed. I wasn't attempting to show a particular cabinet size.

 

[OldBroadcastTech]

If today's thieves are brazen enough to wrap a log chain around an ATM and drag it away, a cabinet like that isn't going to stop them from taking the entire charging station

 

[LarryFine]

If today's thieves are brazen enough to wrap a log chain around an ATM and drag it away, a cabinet like that isn't going to stop them from taking the entire charging station

In that case, the project should be abandoned.

 

[marmathsen]

I think the solution ultimately depends on weighing cost vs benefit. If money is no object then build a concrete garage for the EV and the charger. Or if budget is an issue put it inside the existing cage. Between the two extremes are a locking enclosure, cameras, creative camouflage, signs that warn of curse, haunting, or angry bees, dye packs, stink bomb.

 

[Birken Vogt]

How about a copper clad aluminum charger cord, if something exists?

 

[brycenesbitt]

How about a copper clad aluminum charger cord, if something exists?

Communicating that to the thieves, at night, might be difficult.

 

[brycenesbitt]

They have a chainlink cage nearby, and we are likely putting the EV charger in that cage. That will certainly help. But I think it would also help to make sure the cord is hidden—out of sight, out of mind, as they say.
Has anyone come across something like this? Any ideas?

In Europe the solution is detachable EVSE cords. And such cords may soon be part of J3400, for exactly this purpose.

 

[Fred B]

How about a copper clad aluminum charger cord, if something exists?

Even if it does wouldn't matter.
Had a rash of theft of "copper" ground rods, being pulled out after installation. Never heard they got the thief, most likely stopped once they tried to get scrap money for it and found out is is just copper clad. Or maybe a hernia from trying to pull them. Seems it would have been less "work" to actually get a job.

Thieves have even broken into substations to steal copper only to get killed by electrocution.

In Europe the solution is detachable EVSE cords. And such cords may soon be part of J3400, for exactly this purpose.

Wouldn't stop the theft of the cord, just make it easier. Who actually stands by to "guard" the cord while its charging.

 

[hillbilly1]

Even if it does wouldn't matter.
Had a rash of theft of "copper" ground rods, being pulled out after installation. Never heard they got the thief, most likely stopped once they tried to get scrap money for it and found out is is just copper clad. Or maybe a hernia from trying to pull them. Seems it would have been less "work" to actually get a job.

Thieves have even broken into substations to steal copper only to get killed by electrocution.

Wouldn't stop the theft of the cord, just make it easier. Who actually stands by to "guard" the cord while its charging.

Yeah thieves are often not the brightest! When I was a kid, the poco was going around and changing the ground down the pole to aluminum because the thieves were cutting them off from ground level to just above head high. They eventually went back with copper.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Damage or theft of the cord is an issue everywhere...the vehicles should be supplied with a cord that the user plugs into the charger and the vehicle. Of course that only eliminates the issue when a charger is not being used.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Yeah thieves are often not the brightest! When I was a kid, the poco was going around and changing the ground down the pole to aluminum because the thieves were cutting them off from ground level to just above head high. They eventually went back with copper.

Around here they have started using copper-clad steel, while cheaper, I don't see how solves the theft issue as it looks like bare copper. I guess when the thief tries to cut it, they will get the idea that it is not copper.

 

[letgomywago]

Around here they have started using copper-clad steel, while cheaper, I don't see how solves the theft issue as it looks like bare copper. I guess when the thief tries to cut it, they will get the idea that it is not copper.

If they don't have good diagonal cutters or a saw or bolt cutters they'll notice it's not copper.

 

[hillbilly1]

I quoted rewiring an Old closed Sam's club where they stripped all of the wiring and HVAC. They started to cut the service conductors with a Sawzall, but apparently figured out the 480 was still live. They left the saw blade in the wire! Looked like they had been working on it for several months.