Multi-continental EV charging community ChargePoint has launched two new options to fight a looming risk for electrical car homeowners utilizing public charging stations: vandalism and theft. In the present day, ChargePoint shared particulars of a brand new cut-resistant EV charging cable and a brand new alarm system to extend safety and deter theft close to the pile. You possibly can see extra within the video under.
Having hit a million world charging ports in 2024, ChargePoint operates as a veteran in EV infrastructure and has spent current years increasing and implementing new applied sciences to assist simplify the general course of for its prospects.
Final summer season, the community launched a brand new “Omni Port” that mixes a number of charging plugs into one single port. It ensures EV drivers of almost any make and mannequin can cost at any ChargePoint area. Weeks later, ChargePoint launched further know-how to deal with one other headache amongst EV drivers charging publicly – upkeep.
The corporate has since applied AI to bolster dependability inside its charging community by figuring out points extra shortly to enhance uptime and thus ship higher charging community reliability – one thing EV drivers have been pleading to have for years.
Whereas we cowl loads of different charging networks right here on Electrek, ChargePoint is usually probably the most attention-grabbing, as a result of its updates aren’t all the time simply community expansions or larger cost charges. As a substitute ChargePoint has used its assets to develop and implement progressive options to real issues many EV drivers face usually.
In the present day, ChargePoint is addressing one other frustration within the EV infrastructure phase: vandalism and theft. For all you gasoline guzzlers who assume it’s humorous to chop your native EV charger’s cable and steal it, ChargePoint has some new anti-theft measures to damage your pathetic and callow thought of enjoyable.
ChargePoint introduces anti-theft EV chargers and cables
We’ve all seen it no less than as soon as, whether or not it was in individual or posted by a fellow EV driver someplace on the web. You get to a public pile and the cable has been severed and worse, stolen. Discovering an open, fully-functional charger is tough sufficient if many areas, and to return to seek out that some ignorant individual reduce via your nearest entry to electrical energy to your car’s battery could make your blood boil.
Not anymore… no less than at ChargePoint charging stations.
In the present day, the corporate launched what it’s calling the business’s first cut-resistant charging cable. ChargePoint says its workforce wielded its fifteen years of expertise in EV charging to design a cable with novel cut-resistant supplies constructed into it to discourage vandalism and theft. Whereas the brand new cable is just not utterly cut-proof, it’s considerably harder to vandalize and decommission whereas remaining versatile for drivers to make use of with ease.
ChargePoint shared plans to ChargePoint roll out its new cut-resistant cables to all of its business and fleet charging stations and plans to (selectively) license its design to different charging station producers in an “business main effort to fight cable theft and vandalism.”
Along with the brand new EV cable, the corporate additionally launched a brand new anti-theft charger alarm system known as ChargePoint Defend. The brand new alarm system makes use of a ChargePoint charger’s current audio system, screens, and lighting elements to create alerts and deter any could be vandals.
ChargePoint Defend is able to detecting charging cable tampering in actual time and might mechanically have interaction its alarm system and might instantly push SMS and electronic mail notification to prospects utilizing a given station, in addition to the homeowners of that pile. Legislation Enforcement may also be alerted.
ChargePoint Defend might be activated on choose charging station fashions at no further value by way of a cloud-based software program system improve. The corporate expects ChargePoint Defend to be out there starting this month. ChargePoint CEO Rick Wilmer spoke about each new anti-theft options introduced at this time:
ChargePoint Defend and our cut-resistant cables exhibit our relentless dedication to offering a reliable charging community. We don’t view ourselves as vicAms of vandalism, however somewhat chargeable for fixing it, not just for our prospects however for the business. We’re sharing the know-how to fight vandalism in probably the most aggressive manner doable with the intention to eradicate charger reliability as a hinderance to EV adoption.
You possibly can study extra about these new anti-theft EV merchandise in addition to licensing alternatives on the ChargePoint web site and see them in motion within the video under.
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