Tesla Installing Countermeasures as People Are Hacking the Cables Off Superchargers
Amid a spate of vandalism at Supercharger stations, Tesla appears to be employing countermeasures to head off the theft of its valuable copper charging cables.
For years now, opportunists have targeted electric vehicle charging stations for the copper wiring that powers them, and more recently Tesla's physical locations have been targeted by a wave of anti-Elon Musk vandalism. With Tesla Supercharger stations lacking physical security guards, thieves have had little stopping them from hacking off the cables to steal the metal worth up to $5.20 per pound — until now, at least.
In a post on X, Tesla charging czar Max de Zegher appeared to confirm that the company is experimenting with anti-theft technology, including so-called "DyeDefender" wraps for charger cables that spit out blue dye when cut, and stamps on the wires themselves that he hopes will flag the stolen materials at recycling centers.
Responding to a post from the blog Drive Tesla Canada about the exploding dye cable wraps, de Zegher said that the solution was "just a trial" and added that the company is "always exploring options."
"Supercharger cables will also have 'Property of Tesla' engraved from our Buffalo NY factory," he added, "so recycling companies shouldn't accept them and notify us."
Earlier in the week, a Tesla-driving Redditor posted photos of the new cable wraps at a new Supercharger station in Seattle. In one close-up, a small yellow flag warned that the cable wrap was "pressurized" and should not be cut was visible. Made by the company CatStrap, these DyeDefender cable wraps will explode and paint blue dye all over whoever attempts to cut them, as a video from the company shows.
As of right now, it's unclear whether this anti-theft technology has been installed at any other Supercharger stations or if Tesla has struck an extended deal with CatStrap. We've reached out to the company to get more information about that.
More on Tesla vandalism: Tragedy! Cybertruck Defaced With Large Crude Drawing
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Huawei was among several Chinese companies, including automakers Zeekr, Changan and Xpeng, that touted progress towards fully-autonomous cars at April's Shanghai auto show, even as Beijing announced a new marketing crackdown on terms such as 'smart' and 'intelligent' driving in the wake of a deadly crash in a Xiaomi vehicle involving driver-assistance technology. Huawei said it's ready to undergo a new validation regime being developed by Chinese regulators to certify so-called Level 3 driving systems, meaning they are capable enough to allow drivers to look away unless notified by the system to take over. Zeekr, a luxury brand of China auto giant Geely, also plans to soon sell cars with Level 3 systems. Tesla has yet to release such an "unsupervised" version of FSD because its technology needs more training to operate without a driver's hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Tesla plans to launch self-driving robotaxis in Austin this month. Little is known about its plans. The company has said it aims to initially deploy between 10 and 20 fare-collecting driverless robotaxis in restricted geographic areas of the city, which Tesla has not publicly identified. 'GOD'S EYE' ON THE CHEAP Chinese EV makers are moving quickly to develop driver-assistance systems in a market where car-buyers are demanding them at a faster pace than in other regions, analysts say. Their ability to do so at lower costs poses the biggest threat to Tesla's new autonomy-based business model. BYD buyers can get an FSD-comparable version of God's Eye as a standard feature in cars priced at about $30,000. The cheapest FSD-equipped Tesla in China is a Model 3 selling for about $41,500. 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BYD's 22% gross margin will likely fall as it gives away God's Eye but it will benefit from a vehicle-sales boost, said Chris McNally, head of global automotive and mobility research for advisory firm Evercore. MORE CARS, MORE MILES, BETTER AI Falling behind the Chinese brands on driver-assistance technology would compound Tesla's challenges in China, where it's already losing market share to rivals including BYD, which sells an entry-level EV for less than $10,000. The growing scale of BYD and others could also provide a technological advantage: Racking up more miles on China roads helps train the AI technology needed to perfect automated-driving systems. BYD has a 'clear and ongoing market-share driving advantage' over Tesla in gathering such on-road data to refine God's Eye, Evercore's McNally said, adding that advantage might only increase as offering God's Eye for free helps sell more BYD vehicles. BYD's scale also helps lower costs by providing uncommon leverage over suppliers. In November, a BYD executive in charge of passenger-vehicle operations wrote to suppliers telling them that the automaker sold 4.2 million vehicles last year (more than double the number of Teslas sold) because of 'technical innovation, economies of scale, and a low-cost supply chain.' The executive noted the new year would likely bring more growth, but also fiercer competition. Without specifically mentioning God's Eye, he ended the letter by asking the suppliers for an across-the-board 10% price cut on all parts and systems starting on January 1, calling the new year a final 'knockout round.' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
