Nearly 30 Electric-car Chargers Vandalised In Victoria

Vandals have allegedly targeted nearly 30 electric-vehicle charging stations in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat over the state’s long weekend.

The fast charging cables at two Tesla Supercharger locations – 20 stations in Lucas and six in Wendouree – were reportedly slashed on Saturday 26 September.

At the nearby Exploren fast-charger at the Bedggoods Kia dealership in Wendouree, two charging cables were also reportedly cut, with the damage totalling 28 electric-car charging plugs in Ballarat, according to the crowd-sourced PlugShare app.

The damage forced electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) drivers to seek alternative charging solutions in Ballarat during the AFL Grand Final long weekend in Victoria, which coincided with the school holidays.

MORE: Tesla Supercharger cables cut by vandals, but left behind

Social media posts show technicians had started making repairs to the affected Tesla Superchargers by Monday 28 September.

Tesla only recently upgraded its Supercharger station at Lucas, Victoria, with 20 stations on its latest ‘V4’ network for a maximum charging power of 250kW available for all plug-in vehicles, rather than exclusively for Teslas.

The Tesla Supercharger at Wendouree, which can deliver up to 125kW, is currently exclusive for Tesla models.

Drive has contacted Victoria Police, Tesla Australia and Exploren for comment on the alleged thefts.

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Electric-car chargers have been targeted by copper thieves globally – including past incidents in Australia – but it is currently unclear whether last weekend’s Ballarat incident is due to copper theft.

In June 2026, vandals sliced charging cables at several Tesla Supercharger stations in West Gosford, New South Wales, but left the charging cables behind.

Tesla’s direct-current (DC) Supercharger cables are water-cooled and contain very little copper, Tesla Australia told Drive following the West Gosford incident.

“Tesla treats any damage to Supercharger infrastructure as an urgent priority. In most cases, our dedicated Tesla technicians repair or replace damaged cables on the same day, or by the next business day at the latest,” a spokesperson said in July.

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“This rapid response is central to how Tesla maintains a globally leading network uptime of 99.95 per cent, as reported in our latest Impact Report.

“While affected stalls are temporarily taken offline during repairs, the Tesla app is updated in real time so customers can find alternative nearby stalls in the interim.

“Tesla designs, manufactures, and installs our own charging equipment, and operates a dedicated roaming repair and maintenance team meaning our technicians can reach affected sites quickly and without significant logistical complexity.

“With 13 years’ experience building and operating the world’s largest fast-charging network, now spanning more than 80,000 Superchargers globally, our infrastructure is engineered for maximum reliability, and cable replacement is a routine part of maintaining that standard.

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“The greater impact here is on the customers and EV drivers who rely on the network and are inconvenienced by damage caused through deliberate vandalism.

“It’s unfortunate that incidents like this are occurring at a time of significant growth in EV adoption across Australia.

“Over 70 per cent of our Supercharger network is open to all EV brands, meaning this vandalism has a broad impact well beyond Tesla owners.

“We remain committed to expanding and maintaining a reliable charging network for all Australians making the transition to electric vehicles.

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“Tesla takes the security of our Supercharger network, and the safety of the customers who depend on it extremely seriously.

“Our message is simple: don’t mess with critical infrastructure. We work closely with law enforcement and industry stakeholders across Australia to identify those responsible for damaging our network.”

Evie Networks, which operates EV fast-charging stations across Australia, has started rolling out a CableGuard system on its charging cables to avoid theft.

The CableGuard sleeve goes over the charging cable, and contains a high-pressure liquid that activates when it is attacked, carrying a unique identifier which can glow under ultraviolet (UV) light.

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