Today's Article

"100% 2frustration"

We 3caught up with James Johnson as he was charging up his electric car at a charging station on Bonanza and Pecos. 

"How many times have you gone to charging stations and the cables have been vandalized?"

"Probably about at least 10 times." 

Johnson made the 4switch to EV four years ago because of high gas prices. He tells me he doesn't regret the 5swap, but recently he's come across a lot of 6vandalized plugs causing major charge backup. 

"It'll go from 45 minutes to three hours 7in a heartbeat." 

Anthony Lambkin is the vice president of operations at Electrify America. The company owns the station in the east valley where Johnson often 8powers up his car. Lambkin says thieves have been targeting charging cables because they contain 9copper 10wiring and each 11replacementplug costs thousands. 

"The level of 12scrap value is pennies on the dollar, as to what it takes to install these charging cables." 

Lampkin says his charging stations have been hit multiple times. We went to Metro's crime map and as you can see, Metro responded 29 times just this year for 13destruction of 14property in the area of Johnson's preferred charging station. 

"We serve hundreds of thousands of drivers on a weekly basis. And we consider ourselves mission 15critical infrastructure."

Lamkin hopes to zap the criminals and says the company is doing all they can to stop plug theft.

"What would you like to see as an EV driver in Las Vegas?"

"A lot more charging stations." 

As for Johnson, he also wants to 16zap the thieves, but thinks the number of stations and plug-in ports also needs to increase.