Latest news with #InstaVolt
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hundreds of electric car charging stations hit in organised crime wave
Criminal gangs are targeting electric car chargers, stripping copper from the cables and leaving drivers unable to refuel. InstaVolt, one of Britain's biggest charging networks, said over 700 stations had been targeted in a wave that it has linked to organised crime. Incidents have risen from 140 a year ago. The company has been forced to develop an anti-theft electric charger in an attempt to combat the crime wave. Bosses have said the spate of outages has dented consumer confidence in charging stations, affecting electric car uptake. Delvin Lane, InstaVolt's chief executive, said that gangs had been targeting stations in Birmingham and South Yorkshire and that cable thefts had become an 'industry-wide' problem. He said that while there was only £20-£25 worth of copper in a charging cable, it cost the company around £1,000 to repair each station. Thieves have been targeting copper after the price of the metal surged near all-time highs, triggered by companies stockpiling it ahead of new tariffs from Donald Trump. Eurostar services were disrupted for two days last month because of copper cable theft. Reports also suggest that wind farms are similarly being targeted by thieves, who typically sell the copper cables for scrap value. InstaVolt, which has the UK's biggest rapid charging network after Tesla's, has developed a 'cable shield' to protect its copper. It is made up of a Kevlar sheath booby-trapped with 'smart water' that allows police to identify criminals. Mr Lane said it had led to a rapid fall in thefts involving criminals attempting to steal cables using circular saws and hacksaws, although some had resorted to using hydraulic presses to acquire the cables. 'Will it stop it? No. Will it deter and make it more difficult? Absolutely, yes,' Mr Lane said. He said that the company had installed around 250 of its new cable guards, with only one cable successfully cut after having the shield put in place. The shield will be made available to other charging companies in the coming months. InstaVolt has also hired security guards at its stations and installed trackers in its cables, but says police have not investigated the crimes. Mr Lane said the company was pushing the Government to classify chargers as critical infrastructure, which would give police more resources to investigate. Up to one in 25 chargers around the UK are estimated to be offline at any one time, which affects confidence in motorists' ability to refuel as ministers attempt to boost demand for electric cars. Figures on Friday from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that electric car sales have jumped by 34.6pc in the first half of this year and made up 21.6pc of all new car sales, compared to 16.6pc in the same period a year ago. Data from research company New AutoMotive said that sales of Teslas grew by 12pc in June, helped by the launch of a new Model Y vehicle. InstaVolt, which is owned by investment firm EQT Infrastructure, grew sales by 48pc last year to £50m and narrowed losses to £8.5m. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Copper thieves target electric car chargers
Criminal gangs are targeting electric car chargers, stripping copper from the cables and leaving drivers unable to refuel. InstaVolt, one of Britain's biggest charging networks, said over 700 stations had been targeted in a wave that it has linked to organised crime. Incidents have risen from 140 a year ago. The company has been forced to develop an anti-theft electric charger in an attempt to combat the crime wave. Bosses have said the spate of outages has dented consumer confidence in charging stations, affecting electric car uptake. Delvin Lane, InstaVolt's chief executive, said that gangs had been targeting stations in Birmingham and South Yorkshire and that cable thefts had become an 'industry-wide' problem. He said that while there was only £20-£25 worth of copper in a charging cable, it cost the company around £1,000 to repair each station. Thieves have been targeting copper after the price of the metal surged near all-time highs, triggered by companies stockpiling it ahead of new tariffs from Donald Trump. Eurostar services were disrupted for two days last month because of copper cable theft. Reports also suggest that wind farms are similarly being targeted by thieves, who typically sell the copper cables for scrap value. InstaVolt, which has the UK's biggest rapid charging network after Tesla's, has developed a 'cable shield' to protect its copper. It is made up of a Kevlar sheath booby-trapped with 'smart water' that allows police to identify criminals. Mr Lane said it had led to a rapid fall in thefts involving criminals attempting to steal cables using circular saws and hacksaws, although some had resorted to using hydraulic presses to acquire the cables. 'Will it stop it? No. Will it deter and make it more difficult? Absolutely, yes,' Mr Lane said. He said that the company had installed around 250 of its new cable guards, with only one cable successfully cut after having the shield put in place. The shield will be made available to other charging companies in the coming months. Security guards hired InstaVolt has also hired security guards at its stations and installed trackers in its cables, but says police have not investigated the crimes. Mr Lane said the company was pushing the Government to classify chargers as critical infrastructure, which would give police more resources to investigate. Up to one in 25 chargers around the UK are estimated to be offline at any one time, which affects confidence in motorists' ability to refuel as ministers attempt to boost demand for electric cars. Figures on Friday from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that electric car sales have jumped by 34.6pc in the first half of this year and made up 21.6pc of all new car sales, compared to 16.6pc in the same period a year ago. Data from research company New AutoMotive said that sales of Teslas grew by 12pc in June, helped by the launch of a new Model Y vehicle. InstaVolt, which is owned by investment firm EQT Infrastructure, grew sales by 48pc last year to £50m and narrowed losses to £8.5m.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
West Midlands faces sharp rise in electric vehicle cable theft
The theft of electric vehicle (EV) charging cables is becoming a "significant issue" in the West Midlands. That's what three companies that install these chargers have told the BBC, calling for wider action from both the police and the government. InstaVolt, which owns EV charging points in the region, said that 13 of its sites had been targeted 33 Mercia Police said it was "acting proactively to identify offenders" and take preventative measures. Drivers of EVs in the region said they were concerned about the growing Singh, who has been driving EVs for about six years, said: "If I come to an EV station where the cable has been cut, it's going to ruin the ability for me to charge the car. So it's a concern, for sure." Jo Malam said: "I can understand why they'd be taking them, and it's an easy gain I suppose. "To get to a charging point and find that there's no head on to charge it would be a massive problem because normally you've not got enough energy to get to the next one."Keith Burry said: "We're all trying to do our bit for the environment, and we need to charge."If vandals and thieves take chargers away we're not going to go forward, it's not going to help."It's going to give more people concerns and may even stop people buying electric cars." Chief executive of InstaVolt Delvin Lane said the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 since November 2023, which he described as "frustrating"."This isn't just an InstaVolt problem, this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is to drivers," he said.A spokesperson for Osprey, another company in the area, said they had seen a sharp rise in thefts and were rolling out CCTV coverage and lights to try to reduce them."We've also introduced alarm systems that trigger when cables are tampered with, as well as physical protections like cable sheaths with built-in traceable liquid," they added. 'New and emerging' crime Another EV charger installer, Motor Fuel Group, also reported an increase in organised crime targeting their work, including the theft of charging crimes were disruptive to their work due to the repairs needed and meant the firm lost money replacing them, a spokesperson aimed at tackling the thefts including using tougher cables and marking equipment with ink which could be traced, spokespeople for two of the firms said. Figures from West Mercia Police, released in response to a Freedom of Information request by the BBC, revealed there was one reported EV cable theft from 2022-23 but 19 in Daniel Townsend described it as a "new and emerging" crime and they were working with firms to try to tackle it."We have mapped electrical charging points in our communities so we can respond quickly to prevent any further offences if an charing point has been targeted," he added. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Forget gas stations – EV charging Superhubs are using solar power to solve the most annoying thing about electric motoring
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new Superhubs site in the UK can charge 44 EVs at once Solar panels and massive battery packs help reduce strain on the grid Superhubs are catching on across the globe Data released this week shows that EV sales are on the rise for the second consecutive month in Europe, as the market continues to grow in the US. But as more customers opt to go electric, the demand naturally increases on the public charging network – and that's where increasingly popular Superhubs come in. A growing number of fast-charging providers (with help from local governments) are developing these purpose-built 'Superhubs' that not only aim to cram in as many battery-powered vehicles as possible, but also harness the power of solar and battery storage in order to reduce the strain on the grid and reduce the cost of charging. One such site has just been opened by InstaVolt near Winchester in the UK. There are specially-designed bays for electric heavy goods vehicles, as well as smaller vehicles that are towing trailers, plus dedicated accessible charging spots for those with disabilities and extra-long spaces for electric vans. The site can host 44 electric vehicles, all of which can top-up in rapid fashion thanks to 160 kW DC fast chargers. During peak times, InstaVolt charges 85p per kilowatt (around $1.10), but it also offers an off-peak tariff at 54p per kilowatt (around $0.70). Conveniently-sized charging bays aside, the site also benefits from a massive 870-panel solar array that is paired with an equally gargantuan 960kW/4MWh battery storage system, which reduces the reliance on the grid during peak hours. Unlike current charging destinations in a typical European service station, InstaVolt's new Superhub is located just off the main highway, where there is more space and, perhaps more importantly, land is slightly cheaper. This has allowed the company to add things like 24/7 toilets, a Starbucks, a children's playground area and a spot to walk the dog. Customers also benefit from air and water provisions, in order to keep those road trips rolling. Earlier this month, the largest EV charging hub opened in South Korea, with charging network operator Water unveiling a mammoth 46-strong hub at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Goyang. Catering for everything from tiny city cars to the largest electric trucks, the site offers both 200kW and 100kW charging facilities, while opting for a wooden structure reduced the overall construction carbon footprint compared to concrete or steel structures, according to Electrek. While not quite on the same scale as those found in Korea or in the UK, a number of slick charging hubs are beginning to appear in the US too, with companies like Mercedes-Benz showcasing what its branded locations look like with the opening of its swanky venue at its US HQ in Sandy Springs, Georgia last year. Tesla also opened its largest Supercharger site back in 2023, with a staggering 98 charging stalls operational in Coalinga, California, which benefits from solar canopies and Tesla's own Megapack battery storage system to help ease the reliance on the grid. The company also revealed that it plans to open a mammoth 30-acre site in Lost Hills, California, which it says will play host to 168 charging stalls, making it by far the largest EV charging site in operation in the US. According to Not a Tesla App, the proposed site in Lost Hills, which has been nicknamed 'Oasis', could be capable of charging 4,896 vehicles in a 12-hour period. That said, China takes the top honors, with a staggering 637-stall charging hub located in Shenzhen, which delivers approximately 160 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of power daily and charges more than 4,000 taxis in any given 24-hour period. But scale isn't the only thing that electric vehicle owners are looking for, because the convenience factor is lost if you have to drive to a purpose-built hub that might be well away from a chosen route. Instead, sites like InstaVolt's Superhub aim to serve those using the busiest and most commonly used travel corridors, negating the need to fight over the limited number of charging stalls tacked on to service areas or gas stations. Toyota's portable hydrogen cartridges look like giant AA batteries – and could spell the end of lengthy EV charging Toyota's self-charging concept EV could help you tackle the daily commute on solar power alone The anti-Cybertruck? This new electric pick-up is the size of a Mini and the cutest way to haul your gear
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Winchester electric vehicle charging station largest of its kind
The largest and "most advanced" electric vehicle (EV) charging station of its kind in the UK has new InstaVolt Superhub in Winchester, Hampshire, is located near the A34 and junction 9 of the M3 and is home to 44 "ultra-rapid" on-site solar farm, alongside "cutting-edge" battery storage, will be used to power the site, InstaVolt firm's CEO said the development would provide "industry-leading reliability at an unprecedented scale, ensuring drivers can charge quickly and with confidence". Delvin Lane said the new station wasn't "just a charging hub", but was also a "flagship site that sets a new standard for ultra-rapid EV charging"."We are redefining what EV drivers can expect when they charge, seamless, ultra-rapid, and future-proofed charging that makes the switch to electric easier, faster, and more accessible than ever before," he reported that at the end of February there were more than 75,000 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, at 38,000 charging plugging into a charging hub can still cost significantly more per kilowatt hour than charging overnight at home, according to the AA. The Basingstoke-based company said the new site was designed to "accommodate a wide variety of vehicles", featuring accessible bays as well as those for larger also features 870 solar panels, alongside batteries designed to store the power generated."This site is also a milestone in innovation, marking our first-ever location where we are generating our own renewable energy - pushing the boundaries of sustainability and self-sufficiency in EV charging," Mr Lane added.A Starbucks cafe, children's play park and dog walking area are all featured at the new development, alongside 24/7 toilet facilities. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
