BRAZEN criminals are destroying EV charging stations and scrapping them for parts, leaving drivers with nowhere to juice up their rides.
Eugene Vivino said his go-to EV station has been closed for months – despite him begging the company to fix the chargers.
Thieves cut the charging cords, presumable to steal the copper found inside[/caption]
In San Diego, California, shameless thieves have been cutting off EV charging cords and snatching circuit breakers, presumably to sell the copper found inside.
EVgo, one of the nation’s largest EV charging network companies, has been targeted by the disturbing crime trend, and they apparently can’t keep up with the damages.
Vivino, who relies on EVgo for regular refills, said one nearby station was completely wiped out in May and hasn’t been touched since.
Breakers were swiped from the chargers, and the cords were cut not long after, police said.
Now, he’s making a point to call out the company and urge for changes.
“People want to know they can charge without them having to wait, and they can charge quickly, just like you would fill up a gas car,” he told Fox affiliate KUSI.
According to Vivino’s EVgo app, three stations in San Diego are currently shut down, and no solution is in sight.
Now, thanks to the closures, he has to drive a whopping 20 minutes to his nearest station.
Vivino contacts EVgo monthly but still hasn’t received a direct answer on when the stations will be fixed.
“I tried reaching out to the company a lot of times,” he said.
“The only thing I ever heard back was yes, there’s breaker theft. No, we don’t have an answer on when it’s going to be fixed.”
The U.S. Sun has contacted EVgo for answers, but a spokesperson said the company is working with the government on longer-term solutions.
“Unfortunately, vandalism is a growing issue in the San Diego area,” EVgo communications director Katie Wallace told KUSI.
“EVgo is looking at ways to improve the resiliency of its network in light of increased vandalism in select markets, like San Diego.”
Vivino admitted that he’s being extra pushy with EVgo because he loves using their extra fast chargers.
He hopes that his story will spur the company to take action and force it to reinstate more accessible charging.
“Range anxiety,” or the fear of being stranded because of a lack of charging options, is one of the top issues that prevents drivers from ditching gas cars.
One driver said finding a station is a “constant negotiation” with others on the road as the chargers can get competitive.
In other EV-related news, Elon Musk has unveiled a driverless robot bus EV.
And a major car brand has delayed the production of an incoming electric model.
Electric vehicles vs gas
Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles
EV PROS:
- Convenient (when charging at home)
- Cheaper (depending on state or city)
- Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
- Great for commuting
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Federal and state tax incentives
- More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)
EV CONS:
- Higher initial cost
- Higher insurance rates
- More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
- Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
- Low resale value
- High depreciation rates
- Lack of charging infrastructure
- Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
- Poor winter and summer performance
- Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
- Range anxiety
GAS PROS:
- Highly developed refueling infrastructure
- Fast refueling
- Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Established repair industry
- Lower initial cost
- Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
- Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
- Cheaper refueling, depending on the location
GAS CONS:
- Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
- Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
- Higher repair costs
- Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
- Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county
Source: Car & Driver, Perch Energy, AutoWeek
