Copper Thieves Stole Our EV Charging Cables

Incident and context

• Linus Media Group’s workplace EV charging stations had their charging cables stolen (copper theft).
• Thieves were able to cut the cables without being electrocuted because the charger contactor remains open until an EV communicates with the charger.

Charger wiring and repairability (technical overview)

• These are level‑2 (240 V) chargers. Basic power flow:
  1. 240 V breaker → terminal blocks
  2. into charger electronics (which perform EV communication)
  3. contactor closes to pass current through the J1772 charging gun → EV
• The visible wiring inside the charger is simple; in principle, the cable and the J1772 charging gun are user‑replaceable.
• Practical barriers to DIY repair:
  • Manufacturer service policies that require returning units for repair.
  • Scarce local availability of the specific 4‑core EV cable.
  • Cost of replacement heads/cables and associated labor.

Basic wiring concept: 240 V breaker → terminal → charger electronics (EV communication) → contactor → J1772 charging gun → EV.

Manufacturer / service experience

• Grizzly (original charger vendor) required removing and shipping the hardwired chargers back for repair.
• Grizzly quoted replacement charging gun/cable at roughly CAD $200 plus labor, making DIY repairs impractical.
• Third‑party/OEM replacement J1772 plug heads exist (and are commonly required by local rebate rules) but still cost around ~$200 and sourcing the matching cable remains nontrivial.

Replacement choice: Ubiquiti UniFi EV Station Light

• Linus replaced the damaged Grizzly chargers with Ubiquiti UniFi EV Station Light units (now eligible for BC rebates).
• Ubiquiti advantages:
  • Better integration with the existing UniFi ecosystem (access control: users tap in with building credentials to start charging, reducing unauthorized use).
  • Native scheduling and access features that addressed limitations they had with Grizzly + ChargeLab.
  • Slightly higher stock power output (+10 A vs Grizzly) — roughly a ~20% charging speed increase if upstream breakers were sized accordingly. (Current benefit limited by their 40 A breakers; more noticeable with 70 A breakers or greater capacity.)
  • Ubiquiti provided seven units for the site; cited cost per unit around USD/CAD $700 (a bit more than the Grizzly units).

Installation and infrastructure

• Physical installation is straightforward, but Linus used professional electricians/contractors.
• Site electrical capacity matters:
  • Adding chargers required confirming transformer and breaker capacity.
  • A recent transformer upgrade enabled extra chargers in their studio building.
• They reallocated existing Grizzly units (those not damaged) to other locations and kept an existing Tesla charger in place, leaving one extra Ubiquiti unit.

Software, scheduling, and operational experience

• Grizzly’s ChargeLab scheduling was clunky: it couldn’t fully disable chargers and required awkward workarounds (e.g., setting minimal charge windows at odd times).
• Ubiquiti’s UniFi integration solved unauthorized charging and scheduling pain points for their environment.

Cost and rebate considerations

• Repairing or replacing cables and charging guns can approach half the price of a new charger box.
• In regions with local rebate programs, buying new chargers can be more economical than field repairs.
• J1772 standard plug heads are commonly required for rebate compliance in their area.

Security and trends

• EV chargers are increasingly targeted by copper thieves and sometimes vandals.
• Designing for serviceability and considering theft‑resistant installations is important when deploying chargers.

Actionable tips and guides

• Check vendor policy before attempting DIY repairs; some manufacturers require sending units in for repair.
• Confirm the exact 4‑core cable specification and local availability before buying parts or attempting replacement.
• Factor in labor, shipping, and compatibility (J1772 standard vs Tesla proprietary) when estimating repair cost.
• Consider ecosystem integration (e.g., UniFi) for access control and scheduling to reduce misuse.
• Verify electrical capacity (breaker, panel, transformer) before adding chargers to avoid bottlenecks.

Main speakers / sources

• Linus Media Group (presenter/narrator)
• James (appears on‑screen during install)
• Product/vendors mentioned: Grizzly (original charger), Ubiquiti (UniFi EV Station Light), ChargeLab (scheduling service)

Sponsor / service mentioned (non‑technical)

• DeleteMe — data‑broker personal information removal service (joindeleteme.com/LTT20)