EV charging solutions provider ChargePoint announced two innovative new solutions to combat charger vandalism, featuring a new cut-resistant charging cable and ChargePoint Protect, an alarm system designed to increase charging station security.
First, ChargePoint revealed the charging industry’s first cut-resistant charging cable, specifically designed to deter cable theft. ChargePoint leveraged its more than fifteen-year history of product innovation and charger design expertise to address the critical, industry-wide customer satisfaction issues related to charging cable theft and vandalism.
ChargePoint’s cut-resistant charging cables deter theft and vandalism due to novel cut-resistant materials built into the cable, designed to make the cable substantially more difficult for would-be vandals to cut while remaining flexible and easy for drivers to comfortably maneuver while in use. ChargePoint intends to make its cut-resistant cables available for all of its commercial and fleet charging stations as well as to selectively license the cable design to other charging station manufacturers as part of an industry leading effort to combat cable theft and vandalism.
ChargePoint believes the customers and partners that elect to use its cut-resistant cable design can make any charging station more resistant to tampering and therefore more dependable for all EV drivers. ChargePoint expects its cut-resistant cables to be available for license by the middle of 2025.
In addition, ChargePoint also announced the launch of ChargePoint Protect, a charger alarm system aimed at further increasing charging station security. ChargePoint Protect integrates a ChargePoint charger’s existing speakers, screens and lighting system to create a highly effective alarm system.
ChargePoint Protect is capable of detecting charging cable tampering in real time and automatically engaging the alarm system with the aim of deterring vandals. ChargePoint Protect can be activated on select charging station models at no additional cost to existing ChargePoint customers through a cloud-based software system upgrade.
ChargePoint Protect permits ChargePoint customers to receive SMS or email notifications in the event the system’s alarm is triggered, accelerating the timing for the station owners to be alerted or the deployment of law enforcement responses. ChargePoint expects ChargePoint Protect to be available beginning this month.
“ChargePoint Protect and our cut-resistant cables demonstrate our relentless dedication to offering a dependable charging network. We do not view ourselves as victims of vandalism, but rather responsible for solving it, not only for our customers but for the industry,” said Rick Wilmer, CEO of ChargePoint. “We are sharing the technology to combat vandalism in the most aggressive way possible with the aim to eliminate charger reliability as a hinderance to EV adoption.”
ChargePoint expects these two new solutions, when combined, will benefit charging station owners by reducing station repair costs associated with vandalism and EV drivers by ensuring they can trust charging stations to work when and where they need them.
