[elhigh]

I think the Snake is a much more resistant defense against copper thieves than an inductive charging cable.

The cable is, by its nature, flexible enough to be maneuvered by hand. You cannot make that so heavy or rigid that a person can't manipulate it easily. The Snake, on the other hand, can wear a big, sturdy exoskeleton of cast iron if the designer is so inclined. So long as the joints are designed to provide a little leeway for movement, it would be very tough against casual or even somewhat determined attacks. All the actuator hardware and power conductors are tucked inside an armor sheath that is, just to start with, too big to be even marred by something as mundane as mere bolt cutters.