Tesla Supercharger Cable Cutting Spree Hits 28 Bays in Victoria

A coordinated vandalism spree in central Victoria has left 28 Tesla Supercharger stalls out of action after cables were severed across multiple sites. It marks what appears to be the largest single attack on EV charging infrastructure to date, affecting both the recently expanded 20-stall Lucas Supercharging station near Ballarat and the Ballarat city centre location. With Victorian school holidays underway, the disruption is expected to frustrate EV drivers travelling through the region.

The motive is less about electric vehicles and more about copper. According to Evie Networks spokesperson Geoff Brady, the same offenders are stripping cable from telecommunications pits, construction sites and rail corridors. Charging stations have simply become a newer, softer target on an existing list. He notes that incidents on Evie’s network have climbed over the past 12 to 18 months, broadly mirroring copper prices and the growing number of charging sites across the country. While still a small share of any given month’s network, such thefts are no longer rare.

The cost falls on operators, not the copper thieves. Replacing a single severed cable runs between $2,000 and$5,000, and that figure doesn’t account for lost charging availability. In June, a 29-year-old man faced court in New South Wales over damage to roughly a dozen charging stations across the Newcastle and Central Coast areas. Australian charging networks say they are now working more closely with police and pressuring scrap metal dealers, since the most effective fix is at the point of sale for stolen metal rather than at the charger itself.

Operators are also hardening their sites. Evie Networks is rolling out cable mesh and shields, forensic marking inks, cameras and alarms at higher-risk locations, alongside better lighting and more careful site selection. Because most charging bays sit in car parks managed by third parties, landlords and centre operators have become key partners in the effort.