Crafty Car Thief Targets Electric Vehicle to Sell Copper From Charging Cable

Car thieves have found something that is quicker and easier to steal than catalytic converters.

Video shows one suspected thief checking out the cars in a driveway with one goal in mind — find an electric vehicle.

That is because he has his eyes on snatching the charging cable.

More and more, thieves are taking these cables because they are quicker and easier to make off with than catalytic converters.

And much like catalytic converters, these charging cables contain precious metals that can be sold on the black market. In this case, the copper used inside the cables.

The video shows how quickly it can be done too, with the thief able to unplug the 15-foot cable and rip the other end from the outlet before making his escape in just seconds.

"It was just so quick and so brazen," Bob Schneiderman tells Inside Edition.

He is the unlucky car owner who learned his cable had been stolen while his car was parked in his own driveway.

"The box that we plug the charger into, I now put a padlock on it," says Bob.

Worst of all is the cost of replacing that cable, with Bob saying it cost $2,700 to get a new charger for his car.

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