Nearly all Teslas have built-in dash cameras.
Yet, baffling as it may be, that doesn't stop people from unplugging them from charging stations in acts of defiance.Â
In a recent Reddit post to r/TeslaModel3, one Tesla owner shared a dash camera video showing a man shamelessly unplugging a charging electric vehicle in an apartment parking garage.Â
"I caught this man just taking photos of my car and then proceeding to turn off the power outlet for my charger," the Tesla driver wrote in the caption.Â
The original poster polled the subreddit's followers about whether to call the man out on an apartment complex community page or print out a photo of the man and post it under the outlet with a threatening message.
Reddit and other social media platforms have been filled with stories about misinformed people unplugging and vandalizing EVs for no good reason.Â
For example, there was a regional epidemic of EV vandalism in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, causing city departments to replace at least 46 cut cords at a cost of $46,000.
Seattle EV drivers experienced similar frustration when their charging stations were vandalized to the point that they could not charge their cars.
Fortunately, there are many ways we can reinforce the message that EV vandalism is not acceptable or a reasonable response to the progress of clean energy transportation.
Public education about the importance of EVs and the consequences of vandalism may deter destructive behavior. It may also help to promote community vigilance and encourage people to report suspicious activity around EVs.
Additional prevention strategies include better parking structure lighting and security cameras, onsite security guards, fencing around charging equipment, and stricter laws to penalize vandals.
Reddit users were outraged by the original poster's video and offered suggestions about how to handle the situation.
A Redditor wrote in the comments: "He knew your car was filming him. He looked straight into the camera. Utterly frustrating."
"I would go to your complex and show them this video," one Redditor suggested. "They can then send a community-wide email affirming residents to NOT do this. At least then it's on paper from the complex."Â
"We need a blanket law that makes turning off charging a criminal offense," another Reddit user commented.
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