GPS tracking saves InstaVolt £7,000 worth of charging cables

GPS tracking devices fitted to InstaVolt chargepoint cables helped the chargepoint operator and police to recover stolen equipment. 

Coordination with local police forces mean InstaVolt was able to recover more than £7,000 worth of stolen equipment across two separate incidents. 

In the early hours of 6 December, InstaVolt’s GPS system alerted the operator that several cables had been removed from its Bedford site. 

The alert was immediately picked up internally and escalated to Bedfordshire Police. Working in the middle of the night, InstaVolt’s field service manager, Chris Salmon, coordinated directly with officers while tracking the cable’s live location. 

Although two cables had been taken, six more were protected, enabling the site to remain available for drivers. 

Over a three-hour window, the GPS signal was monitored in real-time until the stolen cables were found hidden behind a substation on a public footpath. They were recovered and secured at the police station, enabling InstaVolt to return the site to full working order without delay. 

The following night, InstaVolt faced another attempted theft at its Caxton site near Cambridge. Once again, the chargepoint operator was alerted immediately, and CCTV footage captured the vehicle involved. 

Police officers tracked the vehicle at speed along the A14 before intercepting it and recovering the stolen cables. 

Cable theft continues to present a growing challenge across the UK, says InstaVolt. These incidents cause significant operational disruption, diverting valuable engineering time away from network expansion and upgrades. The financial impact across the industry runs into millions when factoring in damage, replacement and preventative measures. 

To strengthen the resilience of its network, InstaVolt has introduced a range of security enhancements. GPS tracking now works alongside reinforced cable guards and extensive CCTV monitoring, helping to deter theft, act quickly when incidents occur and protect service availability for customers. 

InstaVolt said: “These recoveries demonstrate the importance of investing in proactive security measures and maintaining close collaboration with local police forces. We will continue to develop and deploy innovative solutions to safeguard our charging infrastructure and ensure drivers can rely on the dependable experience they expect from us.”