BC Hydro Says EV Charger Cable Thefts Have Caused $1 Million in Damage in 10 Months

port moody ev charging cables cut

A string of thefts targeting electric vehicle charging (EV) infrastructure in British Columbia continued this week after six fast charger cables were cut and stolen from a BC Hydro charging station in Port Moody, leaving the site temporarily out of service.

According to the Port Moody Police Department, officers responded to the Port Moody Recreation Complex at around 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday after security personnel were alerted by sensors that detected damage at the charging station.

When officers arrived, they discovered that six charging cables had been cut and removed, disabling the fast chargers.

While the Port Moody incident affected just one location, BC Hydro says it is part of a much larger trend that has recently accelerated across the province.

The utility says there have been 44 cable theft incidents at 22 fast charging sites since October 2025, resulting in approximately $1 million in equipment replacement costs. Although thieves are believed to be targeting the copper inside the cables, BC Hydro notes the scrap value is relatively low compared to the cost of replacing the damaged equipment and the inconvenience caused to EV drivers.

Fast charging cables are particularly attractive because they contain significantly more copper than the Level 2 charging cables commonly found at homes and many public locations.

BC Hydro says it has already begun increasing security at charging sites by installing additional cameras, improving lighting, adding protective cable coverings, and working with local police to investigate incidents and deter future thefts.

The Port Moody chargers are expected to return to service quickly, but police continue to ask anyone with information or surveillance footage related to the theft to come forward.

Set Drive Tesla Canada as your preferred source

Always get the latest - make Drive Tesla your preferred source on Google

Are you buying a Tesla? If you enjoy our content and we helped in your decision, use our referral link to get three months of Full Self-Driving (FSD).

Drive Tesla uses affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Previous Article

Tesla Hosting One-Day Demo Drive Event at Canmore Supercharger This Saturday

Next Article

Canada Invests $10.9M to Add Nearly 400 New EV Chargers

You might be interested in …