If you own a Tesla car, you have to be extra careful with it, especially with its charging cable. According to the reports of AD, a Dutch news website, a group of professional thieves are now targeting the Tesla’s charging cables.
Most of these charging cables are 18-feet to 24-feet long. A member of the Electric Riders Association said that these cables “will become the car radio of our time as thieves can so easily steal it.” He further revealed that “two charging cables were also stolen from my place last week. Not while charging, but just out of the trunk.”
The most pressing question now is why these thieves are itching their hands to get these charging cables. Well, the answer to that inquiry is pretty simple: these cables are expensive. They can cost up to $520, which is not pocket change. It is not surprising that the number of organized crimes targeting this particular Tesla accessory will increase.
“The police in Amsterdam South alone received 21 reports of stolen charging cables, mainly from Tesla drivers, between November 20 and December 4,” the report indicated. “A new cable is pricey: between 200 and 300 euros. The thieves’ motive is clear: second-hand the cables cost about 150 euros each. The thefts almost all take place at night.”
Apparently, the target of these thieves are cables from Tesla Model 3 cars. Coincidentally, Model 3 is the best-selling line of Tesla.
There are different speculations on how these thieves can steal the charging cables even though they are typically locked and secured. Authorities have yet to report the exact mechanism these criminals are using to bypass the charging cable’s security features. This will be really interesting to watch as Chevy Volt and Bolt don’t have a locking mechanism. However if the charging cord is removed without the car being unlocked the horn can alert you.
Meantime, Tesla and other electric vehicle owners have to take extra safety measures until there is a resolution.
