CableGuard, the EV cable theft prevention and deterrent from Formula Space, has launched a new V4 cut protection option for charge point operators (CPOs) facing the most severe cable theft attacks.

The upgrade is engineered specifically to defeat the increasing number of thieves forming part of organised crime groups, who are shifting to increasingly aggressive attacks using angle grinders and other power tools.

Cable theft has become a board-level issue for charge point operators, with the cost of a stolen cable estimated to be £1,200 for the hardware alone. The cost to UK CPOs totals millions of pounds since 2022, while in Europe, 650 electric vehicle charging stations in France have been targeted since the beginning of the year, causing an estimated €13m (£11.1m) in damage and losses.

Vern Pollard, cable theft response expert and director at Formula Space, said: “Operators tell us the problem isn’t just the theft, it’s the escalation in the severity of the attack and the extent of the damage. As thieves get more sophisticated, CPOs need us to apply the same thinking to the theft prevention solutions we create. V4 cut protection is our direct answer to that: a new technology that not only protects cables from being taken in high-risk areas but also acts as a deterrent for the future.”

The V4 cable sleeve is designed to render the power tools used during an attack useless by blunting the tools’ effectiveness. This then turns a job that once took seconds into a slow, costly and highly conspicuous activity. The sleeve is fully retrofit, installs in 20 minutes and has been verified by leading charger manufacturers including Nidec, Wallbox and Kempower.

Lee Barnett, solutions and service manager, UK & Ireland at Kempower, commented: “A key element to driving forward the EV transition is instilling in people a feeling of trust and confidence in available charging infrastructure. Rising crime involving charging cables is damaging both to EV charging businesses and to public perceptions and experience. We chose to lead the way and become Formula Space’s testing partner for CableGuard so we could offer our customers and partners a solution we truly believe in and to uphold our overall mission of supporting the transition to clean transportation.”