EV charger security: cable theft, lock-in plugs and what actually happens in Perth

Two security questions come up in almost every quote conversation. Can someone steal the cable, and can a stranger use your charger while you are asleep. Both have real answers, and both are less scary than the headlines suggest.

Cable theft: real overseas, rare here

Copper theft from public DC fast chargers is a genuine problem in the US and parts of Europe, where cables get cut for scrap value. In Perth it is close to nonexistent. Home wall units with tethered cables sit inside garages or on private walls, and the cable on a home unit contains far less copper than a 350kW public cable. We are not aware of a single home tethered cable theft among our installs.

Can someone unplug your car?

While charging, the car locks the plug into its own port. On most EVs the plug cannot be removed until the car is unlocked. At home, your car locks your cable in exactly the same way. The loose end risk only exists for untethered cables left lying out, which is why we recommend docking them on the holster we install with every unit.

The settings worth switching on

• Charger lock or PIN: Zappi, Wallbox and the Tesla Wall Connector all let you lock the unit to authorised users. Essential for chargers mounted on an open driveway or front wall.
• Scheduled charging windows: the unit refuses to dispense power outside your set hours. Power bill protection and security in one.
• App notifications: every smart charger we install can ping you when a session starts. If you get a 2am notification and you are in bed, you know something is up.

The one we set on every install

If the charger is visible from the street, we enable user lock by default before we leave. It takes two minutes and removes the only realistic misuse scenario: a neighbour or passerby treating your wall unit as a free servo.