Senate Bill 5746, sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, directs the state Interagency Electric Vehicle Coordinating Council to recommend strategies to the Washington state Legislature to combat EV charger vandalism and theft.
The council, chaired jointly by the departments of transportation and commerce, oversees state electric vehicle policies. A panel of advisers would include industry and utility representatives, recyclers, law enforcement officers and other interested parties.
The measure passed the Senate 49-0 and moves to the House for further consideration, Wilson stated in a news release.
“Whether we are talking about a coordinated effort to steal charger cords for their copper recycling value, or hooligans who wreck chargers just to be ornery, these crimes have a serious impact on our efforts to promote electric vehicles,” Wilson said. “Criminal gangs are getting involved, and these property crimes are skyrocketing.”
EV chargers have become a target nationwide and in Washington. Last year, a trade publication reported about 100 thefts of EV charging equipment in Seattle, rendering about 5.6 percent of the city’s 1,780 chargers at least temporarily unusable.
Last year, KING-5 TV told of a brand-new Sumner charging station operated by Puget Sound Energy where cords were cut twice in a matter of months. The state Department of Transportation reported that total wire theft on its properties cost taxpayers $1.5 million between 2021 and 2024.
EV charger vandalism has recently been reported in Chehalis and Centralia, as well.
The problem has gotten to the point that one manufacturer is testing cables with exploding dye packs that rupture and spray when cords are severed.
“Two years ago, I passed a bill requiring scrap metal dealers to check ID and record information when people bring EV charger components in for recycling. That might help deter some thefts, but unfortunately this has become so lucrative that theft rings have become organized,” Wilson said. “The Legislature needs expert advice if it is going to slam the brakes on this crime. We’ve been intent on deploying charging stations across the state, but that’s really just the beginning. We also have to figure out how to keep the thieves and vandals away.”
