Evolt Charging has announced a new agreement to become the exclusive UK distributor for cable protection firm CatStrap.
The electric vehicle (EV) cable protector provides a robust protection system that is specifically designed to prevent EV charger cable theft, the company said.
It comes as cable theft has become a nationwide challenge that continues to affect all UK Charge Point Operators (CPOs), with hundreds of incidents of theft and vandalism reported across the last few years.
Despite the relatively low resale value of the copper wiring within EV charging cables, each stolen cable can cost the CPO thousands to replace, as well as additional costs to increase security measures.
CatStrap has been deployed on more than 1,000 charging stations worldwide, combining dual steel materials in a proprietary armoured sleeve design that successfully deters saws, cable cutters, and other handheld or powered cutting tools.
Evolt has undertaken rigorous testing of the CatStrap EV Cable Protector in real-world conditions, demonstrating its resistance to cutting and theft attempts. The system’s patented steel-layer movement keeps the cable 90% intact after up to three minutes of continuous cutting, and resisting most handheld cutters as well as many industrial methods, the firm claims.
Seamus O’Dwyer, Operations Performance Director at Evolt Charging, said:
“Charger cable theft is affecting all UK CPOs, and every stolen cable comes with significant costs to replace and repair.
“It is a serious issue and one that has the potential to derail the EV charging roll out and undermine investment. Ultimately, we need EV chargers to be recognised as critical infrastructure to tackle this ongoing issue, and the industry will continue to call for this.
“But CPOs know they can’t wait for changes to be actioned and need to protect their infrastructure now. They are implementing preventive measures and protective solutions and the introduction of CatStrap to the UK market is intended to support this. It is a cost-effective measure which has already been proven in the US, and will protect cables at charge points that EV drivers rely on every day.
“We are committed to supporting CPOs with innovative and durable solutions that help to deter and prevent further cable theft. We are pleased to have exclusively partnered with CatStrap to bring their innovative solution to the UK market.”
David Birsen, Vice President of CatStrap, said:
“We’re proud to partner with Evolt Charging to bring our EV Cable Protector technology to the UK.
“After protecting thousands of public chargers across North America in high-theft areas with virtually 100% success, we’re excited to extend that protection to UK operators. Evolt’s nationwide service capability, operational excellence, and expertise in charge point hardware make them the ideal partner to ensure consistent, high-quality installations and successful implementation of our products.”
Image courtesy of Evolt Charging/CatStrap
