Latest news with #MaxdeZegher
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Wants Revenge On Charging Cable Thieves
Read the full story on The Auto Wire For some time now, EV charging station cable theft has been a growing problem, including at Tesla Superchargers. Just like with catalytic converters on ICE cars, the cables are valuable enough to be sold at metal recycling centers and can be removed quickly using a Tesla has a new trick to shame and humiliate anyone who tries cutting through Supercharger cables, thanks to a company called CatStrap and its lovely invention DyeDefener. Originally developed to be attached to catalytic converters, the stainless steel hose contains pressurized blue dye similar to those dye packs found on valuables in retail stores. As the thief tries cutting through the cable, the pressurized dye sprays out, hitting the thief's hands, arms, face, etc. staining them. This not only is a humiliating thing to endure, it marks the person as the one who tried stealing the charging cable. What Tesla has done in a pilot program involves CatStrap's invention, only customized to fit around the charging cables at Superchargers. A Tesla owner first spotted the DyeDefender being used at a Supercharger in Seattle. We're unsure where else they're being tested out. Potential thieves receive a warning that the charging cable is pressurized via a tag up where the cable attaches to the Supercharger housing. Since that's about where they're usually cut, it's a good location. We're just unsure if criminals will stop to read a warning or heed it. It's unclear if the CatStrap, which contains a triple layer of custom-hardened steel, is also contained in the sleeve over the Tesla charging cables. CatStrap makes the DyeDefender so it can slide over, giving ICE car owners double protection from catalytic converter thieves. The company also bundles these with something called the CatEye, an alarm that exposes thieves to a 130 dB sound blast. Just a trial. We're always exploring options. Supercharger cables will also have "Property of Tesla" engraved from our Buffalo NY factory, so recycling companies shouldn't accept them and notify us. It's a scalable, cost-effective solution that doesn't impact service operations &… — Max de Zegher (@MdeZegher) February 12, 2025 To further combat the theft of Supercharger cables, Tesla is apparently trying out engraving 'Property of Tesla' on the copper. This is supposed to let copper recyclers know the material has been stolen, hopefully leading to its return and the thieves' capture. Max de Zegher, one of the top guns over the Supercharger network, revealed on X this inexpensive solution going through a trial run currently. In other words, Tesla is serious about stopping charging cable thieves and is working on solutions to the pervasive crime. Image via Tesla Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
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
