Multiple CA Supercharger locations down in past 5 months: breakdowns, vandalism, or theft?

[Xenoilphobe]

It occurs to me this happened when SuperCharger Status came online; the thieves could contact someone with a Tesla and ask which SuperChargers were empty, so that they could break in when no one was there. They could even wait inside the cage if a vehicle showed up -- they could have a lookout parked in an ICE watching the place from outside and text them on a smartphone.

I wonder if police can get subpoenas for SmartPhones with GPS registering in the area of the cages for the times of the events.

Yes they can, If I were the subcontractors who worked this site, I would start having a dialog with my employees - this is too easy to solve if they get some pros on the job- this definitely an insider (someone with knowledge of electrical power distribution and specifically the Tesla sites)

There are multiple technologies that easily solve this problem. Cell tower data dumping would be the quickest way to solve this.

Police secretly track cellphones to solve routine crimes

 

[ecarfan]

@Blu Zap thanks for your post. Clearly Tesla is taking the recent spate of Supercharger part thefts and/or vandalism incidents seriously.

 

[EVie'sDad]

You should not encounter any problems in CA. Bay Area to LA and back last weekend without a hitch. Just check the stall availability before leaving, to get an idea where best to stop and recharge. It worked quite well for us.

 

[Merrill]

Was at Petaluma on Thursday and they had a security guard walking the supercharging area.

 

[Lump]

This is going to get expensive, how many sites have security currently?

~$20 an hour x 24 x 7 days = $3360
10 sites $33k per week, Per month $132k
20 sites $67k per week, Per month $268k

Not too mention valet attendants at some locations.

 

[bmah]

This is going to get expensive, how many sites have security currently?

~$20 an hour x 24 x 7 days = $3360
10 sites $33k per week, Per month $132k
20 sites $67k per week, Per month $268k

Not too mention valet attendants at some locations.

It adds up, although what's the cost of repairing a down Supercharger? (I'm actually asking the question, don't have an answer in mind.)

The other thing is that getting security guards on site is something that Tesla can roll out quickly and as needed. Other solutions such as remote monitoring, better enclosures, etc. will take time to set up. So it's possible that the security guards might not be the final solution.

Bruce.

 

[ohmman]

It adds up, although what's the cost of repairing a down Supercharger

Also, Tesla needs to consider the cost of owners' time and inconvenience as well as the cost of bad press.

 

[K-MTG]

Why not install security cameras (military grade - infrared tech, etc...) and Elon can deploy a counter measure from the Space X facility to take care of the problem? Seems feasible to me...

 

[McRat]

Why not install security cameras (military grade - infrared tech, etc...) and Elon can deploy a counter measure from the Space X facility to take care of the problem? Seems feasible to me...

Dang, beat me.

Or... Autonomous P100Ds with crash bars on them sit there. The personalized plates are are Crsten01 through Crsten99 (Christine - Stephen King). When an intruder pulls up, the headlights come on, and it starts creeping towards them, like a lion in the tall grass. Directional headlights follow their moves. The hood opens and closes with quick snap every time they turn their head towards the car.

A bluish human hand hanging from the hood, and maybe some hair and blood on the crashbar?

 

[johnnyS]

The superchargers have enough power they could have a directional taser to zap any hoodlums. Most sites have a light pole which could have a security camera and speaker to give a warning message "you have 20 seconds to vacate the area before you are tased."

 

[PLUS EV]

Lots of weirdo fantasies ITT.

Anyways, I agree the cost of 24/7 security is expensive, so I'm assuming it's a temporary solution.

I also think the bad press is the biggest threat to Tesla, not disgruntled owners (although that can lead to bad press) and certainly not the cost of replacing/repairing the equipment. If you read comments sections on any Tesla article, you will see the short-bots bashing Tesla almost immediately. It's even possible that Russia is behind it all

 

[PLUS EV]

Saw security guards stationed at Gilroy and Vacaville today. Same Securitas uniform sitting in person vehicle as I previously reported at Buttonwillow.

 

[beths11]

I feel better about my trip north. Thank you Tesla for the quick response.

 

[cpa]

This is going to get expensive, how many sites have security currently?

~$20 an hour x 24 x 7 days = $3360
10 sites $33k per week, Per month $132k
20 sites $67k per week, Per month $268k

Not too mention valet attendants at some locations.

I would think that $20 per hour is a tad low in California. I believe that Tesla contracts with a security company, and does not pay these individuals directly. I just guess that these positions command at least $15/hour; perhaps as high as $18-$19 in urban areas. There also might be shift differentials for swing and graveyard. Mandatory employer costs, overhead, and benefits like vacation and sick likely add another 30%. Then there is the company profit tacked on.

More likely these security companies are charging Tesla $22+ per hour, depending on location. But just a guess on my part.

 

[4SUPER9]

I guess the presence of security pretty much settles part of the question in the title of this thread. Meaning, the issues have not been (for the most part) related to breakdowns, but rather due to vandalism/theft. For me, I would suspect the latter. Then again, given the Volkswagon scandal, anything is possible.

 

[thecloud]

I guess the presence of security pretty much settles part of the question in the title of this thread. Meaning, the issues have not been (for the most part) related to breakdowns, but rather due to vandalism/theft. For me, I would suspect the latter. Then again, given the Volkswagon scandal, anything is possible.

Wait, what exactly are you saying in that last sentence? That hiring security is somehow a false flag to make it look like breakdowns are caused by vandalism? Seriously?

It's a good thing they've hired security. Some guys want to cut you with their razors.

 

[4SUPER9]

Wait, what exactly are you saying in that last sentence? That hiring security is somehow a false flag to make it look like breakdowns are caused by vandalism? Seriously?

It's a good thing they've hired security. Some guys want to cut you with their razors.

Is that what it sounded like I meant? I can see why it sounded that way! Sorry. No, I am saying the exact opposite. What I meant was that I think that the recent "breakdowns" were most certainly due to theft for the reselling of valuable parts, and is proven by Tesla hiring security. If these were all due to breakdowns, there would be no need for security. What I meant by my last sentence was that given the recent incredibly ridiculous cheat-scandal perpetrated by Volkswagen, I wouldn't entirely rule out corporate vandalism.

 

[thecloud]

Is that what it sounded like I meant? I can see why it sounded that way! Sorry. No, I am saying the exact opposite. What I meant was that I think that the recent "breakdowns" were most certainly due to theft for the reselling of valuable parts, and is proven by Tesla hiring security. If these were all due to breakdowns, there would be no need for security. What I meant by my last sentence was that given the recent incredibly ridiculous cheat-scandal perpetrated by Volkswagen, I wouldn't entirely rule out corporate vandalism.

I'm really not sure I understand your clarification, or why you would think to compare this situation with VW's actions. Are you saying you think there's a chance Tesla did this to themselves, on purpose? How would that make any sense?

 

[4SUPER9]

I'm really not sure I understand your clarification, or why you would think to compare this situation with VW's actions. Are you saying you think there's a chance Tesla did this to themselves, on purpose? How would that make any sense?

Dude, it does not make sense because that's not what I said. I think you need to re-read my posts. My apologies if my verbiage is somehow throwing you off. I get how you read that from my first post, but really? How in the world can you come up with the assumption that "corporate vandalism" implies that Tesla did this to themselves? Corporate vandalism implies that someone ELSE (i.e.: a competitor) did this to Tesla in order to make them look bad, etc. Again, this smells like common thievery. Corporate vandalism seems unlikely.

 

[thecloud]

Dude, it does not make sense because that's not what I said. I think you need to re-read my posts. My apologies if my verbiage is somehow throwing you off. I get how you read that from my first post, but really? How in the world can you come up with the assumption that "corporate vandalism" implies that Tesla did this to themselves? Corporate vandalism implies that someone ELSE (i.e.: a competitor) did this to Tesla in order to make them look bad, etc. Again, this smells like common thievery. Corporate vandalism seems unlikely.

I re-read both of your prior posts. You seemed to be comparing this situation to the Volkswagen cheating scandal, a case where the company was the perpetrator, not a competitor trying to harm their reputation, and the actions were designed to mislead regulators. So I'm glad you didn't mean it that way, and it was all a misunderstanding. My apologies as well for being dense.