Tesla is escalating its efforts to prevent theft and vandalism at its Supercharger stations by implementing new security technologies, including ink packs, reinforced cable coverings and engraved copper wiring.
The company recently began wrapping Supercharger cables in a tougher material designed to resist cutting. In addition, Tesla has embedded ink packs into the wrapping that explode upon tampering, making it easier for authorities to identify suspects.
Tesla Head of Charging Max de Zegher further revealed the company is targeting metal theft directly by engraving “Property of Tesla” on the copper inside its charging cables. This measure, applied during production at Tesla’s Buffalo, NY, Gigafactory, is aimed at discouraging scrap yards from accepting stolen materials.
“It’s a scalable, cost-effective solution that doesn’t impact service operations and customer experience,” de Zegher said.
The theft of Supercharger components, particularly copper wiring, has been an ongoing issue for Tesla as criminals attempt to resell the valuable material. By making it harder to remove and dispose of stolen cables, Tesla hopes to reduce these incidents and make it easier for law enforcement to track down offenders.
While these measures are expected to deter some criminal activity, past experiences with Tesla’s Sentry Mode -- an in-car surveillance system -- show that even well-publicized security features don’t always stop determined thieves. Whether these latest anti-theft strategies will be enough to protect Tesla’s charging network remains to be seen.
