EV charging cables cut off and stolen from chargers in Oakland

Vandals sliced through thick cables at an Oakland electric vehicle charging station, leaving drivers powerless.

Nearly a dozen charging cables are missing from the EVgo charging station at 409 Washington Street near Jack London Square. The chargers have been out of commission for at least a week.

"I think it’s very crazy," said Aleksi Virtapuro who was visiting from Finland. "Why would somebody do something like that?"

The charging cables and components were stolen and the exposed wires near the top of the charging units have since been wrapped in black electrical tape.

The Oakland Police Department did not have any incident reports of vandalism at the site, but EVgo said it did alert local police. 

Some drivers suspect the draw may be the metal contained inside the cables. Reports across the country document thieves targeting the EV charging cables for copper.

"I think it’s ludicrous," said EV driver Andre Ferguson of Oakland. "It’s absolutely disgusting. This is a bad situation."

Even the surveillance video cameras’ wiring at the charging station appeared to be tampered with.

EVgo said in a statement, "We are aware of the unfortunate incidents at this station that were caused by individuals unaffiliated with EVgo, and we are working to remedy the situation."

Around the Bay Area, EV owners complain there are a limited number of charges, broken chargers or problems with the payment systems.

"That’s very frustrating and disruptive to customers and represents one of the more significant current barriers to getting mainstream adoption of electric vehicles," said UC Berkeley Professor James Sallee who is well versed in the EV market and infrastructure.

While California is keeping pace with the number of charging stations compared to electric vehicles sales, there are still challenges surrounding the customer experience, Sallee said.

Convenience and reliability of chargers are among the biggest obstacles for EV owners, opposed to those who still have gas powered cars.

"It’s unfair to us because I need to charge," said Wendell Cotten of Oakland. "I don’t charge from home because I live in an apartment building."

Much of the charging infrastructure is in part thanks for federal and state funds.

This year, the Biden Administration is committing $7.5 billion to install a network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers.

"When we look at the charging network it’s sort of an early wild west where there’s a lot of different companies still trying to figure out the right way to make money and to have a successful, sustainable business in their infrastructure," Sallee said.

In Oakland, drivers say there’s simply a lack of charging locations, especially with vandals cutting cables and putting chargers out of service.

"This is the only place that you can really charge," Cotton said. "I have to rely on these machines to help me get through the day."

Brooks Jarosz is a reporter for KTVU. Email him at  brooks.jarosz@fox.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @BrooksKTVU