Call for solutions to prevent the theft of electric vehicle charging cables from public charging points

Results of the call for project

Winner: Catstrap

Finalist : HelloNext

Description of the Call for Projects

Objective of the Call for Projects

The objective of this call is to identify and test effective, industrial-ready and economically viable solutions to prevent or deter the theft of charging cables on electric vehicle charging stations (light-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles).

This call for solutions is part of an ongoing effort to enrich existing studies, with the aim of complementing and challenging the solutions already identified.

Types of Solutions Sought

• Proposed solutions may include, but are not limited to, the following approaches:
• Mechanical solutions (anti-theft devices, locking systems, deterrent design, etc.),
• Material-based solutions (new materials, protective sheaths, or less attractive cables, etc.),
• Electronic or digital solutions (cut detection, real-time alerts, traceability, etc.),
• Acoustic solutions (alarms, etc.).

Technical Constraints

Proposed solutions must be compatible with existing infrastructures, quickly testable on pilot sites, economically viable, and must not negatively impact the user experience.

Solutions must be technology-agnostic, as the current network includes—without being limited to—the following charging station technologies:

• ALPITRONIC HYC 300 and ALPI HYC 400
• EVBox Troniq Modular
• Siemens Sicharge D
• …

Respondents may propose a solution addressing one or several of the identified challenges.

Who Is This Call for Projects For?

This call for solutions is open to startups, SMEs, innovative companies, and consortia offering mature solutions or solutions under development (TRL 7–8), based in France or internationally.

Projects proposing solutions that have already been tested on the market or in real-world environments will be particularly valued.

Benefits and Opportunities for the selected solutions

• The opportunity to test one or more prototypes on charging stations within the ENGIE Vianeo France network.
• Potential deployment at a European scale across the ENGIE Vianeo network.
• Direct engagement with ENGIE Vianeo experts and the opportunity to propose additional applications for ENGIE Vianeo’s business activities.

Detailed Description

Context :

The large-scale deployment of electric vehicle charging stations has been accompanied by a significant increase in cable theft, primarily driven by the value of copper. These incidents lead to high replacement costs, prolonged station downtime, deterioration of the customer experience, and a negative impact on operators’ brand image.

Sponsors : 

ENGIE Vianeo, an ENGIE entity responsible for operating DC and AC charging stations in France, Belgium, Germany, and Spain—serving both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle segments—is directly affected by this issue.

ENGIE Vianeo aims to anticipate and mitigate these risks through robust, industrial-ready solutions that could potentially be deployed across all its European assets.

Why This Call? :

Although ENGIE Vianeo has already conducted internal analyses and studies to address this challenge, no solution has yet proven fully satisfactory.

This call for solutions aims to:

• Broaden the range of solutions under consideration,
• Identify mature or emerging external innovations,
• Compare and challenge different technical and economic approaches,
• Accelerate the deployment of operational, field-ready solutions.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

• Relevance and effectiveness in addressing cable theft
• Level of innovation
• Technical and economic feasibility
• Ability to be rapidly deployed at large scale
• Ease of implementation
• Project maturity

Your ENGIE Research & Innovation contact

Marie-Annabelle Quillon
Open innovation 

+33(0)676736590