GPS tracking saves £7,000 worth of EV charging cables

GPS tracking devices fitted to our charging cables delivered their first major success earlier this month. Thanks to rapid intervention and strong coordination with local police forces, we were able to recover more than £7,000 worth of stolen equipment across two separate incidents. 

In the early hours of Saturday, 6th December, our GPS system alerted us that several cables had been removed from our Bedford site. The alert was immediately picked up internally and escalated to Bedfordshire Police. Working in the middle of the night, our Field Service Manager, Chris Salmon, coordinated directly with officers while tracking the cable’s live location. Although two cables had been taken, six more were protected, enabling the site to remain available for drivers. 

Over a three-hour window, the GPS signal was monitored in real time until the stolen cables were found hidden behind a substation on a public footpath. They were swiftly recovered and secured at the police station, ensuring we could return the site to full working order without delay. 

The following night, we faced another attempted theft at our Caxton site near Cambridge. Once again, we were alerted immediately, and CCTV footage captured the vehicle involved. Police officers tracked the vehicle at speed along the A14 before intercepting it and recovering the stolen cables. 

Cable theft continues to present a growing challenge across the UK. These incidents cause significant operational disruption, diverting valuable engineering time away from network expansion and upgrades. The financial impact across the industry runs into millions when factoring in damage, replacement and preventative measures. 

To strengthen the resilience of our network, we have introduced a range of security enhancements. GPS tracking now works alongside reinforced cable guards and extensive CCTV monitoring, helping us to deter theft, act quickly when incidents occur and protect service availability for our customers. 

These recoveries demonstrate the importance of investing in proactive security measures and maintaining close collaboration with local police forces. We will continue to develop and deploy innovative solutions to safeguard our charging infrastructure and ensure drivers can rely on the dependable experience they expect from us.