Cable Thefts Challenge Portugal’s EV Network, Testing Expat Road Trips

Foreign motorists who have come to trust Portugal’s remarkably dense public-charging map have run into an unexpected wrinkle: a modest yet stubborn streak of cable thefts that knocks entire units out of service, most often on the southern rim of Lisbon. Operators insist the overall network remains reliable, but the incidents spotlight a fragile link in the country’s race toward zero-emission mobility.

A snag in Portugal’s green drive

With roughly 3,000 high-power chargers now dotted across the mainland and islands, Portugal enjoys one of Europe’s highest charger-to-car ratios. That success, however, has made the thick copper-laden cables an attractive target for petty criminals hoping to cash in on metal prices. Even a single severed cable can sideline a site until replacement parts arrive, turning a "quick top-up" into a cross-town detour for unsuspecting visitors. Industry group APOCME calls the crimes “isolated” yet acknowledges they threaten the image of a nation positioning itself as an e-mobility frontrunner.

Where the trouble keeps flaring up

Police reports assembled by the association trace most offenses to Almada, Seixal, Barreiro and Alcochete, municipalities straddling the south bank of the Tagus. Smaller clusters have been logged in Fátima and along inland motorways, suggesting the modus operandi is spreading beyond Lisbon’s commuter belt. Investigators say thieves usually strike after midnight, cut through protective sheathing in minutes and sell the haul to unlicensed scrap yards. While the tally still represents a fraction of one percent of all charging points, the downtime hurts because many hotspots sit on arterial routes with few backups nearby.

Why expats feel the pinch first

Portugal’s home-grown EV owners often charge overnight in private garages, but newcomers living in apartments—or house-hunters zipping between viewings—rely on the publicly funded MOBI.E grid. When a fast charger goes dark, queues lengthen at the next one and smartphone apps are slow to refresh, leaving drivers who lack local knowledge or language skills stranded. Rental-car agencies have begun warning international clients to keep at least 20 % battery in reserve and to verify charger status minutes before hitting the road.

The industry’s counter-moves

Major operators are deploying motion detectors, discreet 4K cameras and remote-lock software that immobilises cables unless a payment handshake is complete. Powerdot says every incident now triggers an instant alert to both the PSP urban police and the rural GNR brigade, along with timestamped video files for prosecutors. EDP Comercial, meanwhile, is beta-testing reinforced “dog-bone” cables whose steel weave makes covert sawing nearly impossible. APOCME has petitioned the Interior Ministry for a joint task force so that arrests in one county are not lost in bureaucratic hand-offs to another.

New rules joining the toolkit

August’s Decreto-Lei 93/2025—best known for scrapping mandatory charging contracts—also includes a lesser-noticed clause that lets operators share live security feeds with law enforcement without seeking a separate GDPR waiver. The government argues that faster evidence transfers will shorten investigations and deter copycats. A related Portaria signed in March orders metrology checks on all new hardware, indirectly pushing manufacturers to integrate tougher anti-tamper seals if they wish to pass certification.

Lessons from neighbours and innovators

Spain’s motorway network has begun painting cables with DNA-tagged dye, while several French service areas mount retractable reels that hide wiring inside the pedestal. Portuguese start-ups are studying a British solution called CableGuard, whose microscopic identifiers survive even after the metal is melted down. Two pilot units are already live in Cascais; early data show a dramatic drop in attempted thefts compared with nearby untreated posts.

Keeping your journey on track

Until the tech and policing fully catch up, seasoned drivers suggest favouring well-lit retail parks over isolated lay-bys, charging during café hours rather than at dawn and reporting any damaged equipment through the MOBI.E app—the photo upload often reaches operators faster than their own diagnostics. Carrying a portable Type-2 cable can also rescue a trip, because many slower AC posts require users to supply their own lead and therefore escape the thieves’ gaze. In short, Portugal remains an EV-friendly haven, but a little vigilance over that orange-sheathed lifeline will ensure the country’s scenic drives stay worry-free.