In 2021, an electric vehicle charging station in Germany was hit by an unusual act of vandalism that destroyed the technology.
A report from Efahrer.com detailed how raw minced meat was forced into the charging station's connectors in Munich, with the grim attempt at protest leading to the machine's components needing to be replaced.
An average of 17% technical issues including vandalism is happening in Germany
— Alex (@alex_avoigt) April 30, 2021
Pic, in Munich someone put minced meat in the connectors pic.twitter.com/agOiz0HxpG
Teslarati summarized the story, noting that Stadtwerke München had seen an increasing number of vandalism incidents on electric charging stations at the time, although it's likely this was one of the grossest. Tesla began adding cameras to its EV charging stations in 2022, but some EV chargers rely on external cameras to adequately deter vandalism.
"The hate is real," one user on X, formerly known as Twitter, commented on a picture of the act. "Sorry, that's just nasty," added another.
This particular "demonstration" was likely done by individuals who equate electric vehicle users to those who have plant-based diets, with both groups demonstrating a concern for the planet by trying to reduce pollution.
Electric vehicles, although perhaps fueled by energy generated from coal-powered plants, are much better for the environment because they produce zero tailpipe pollution on the roads, which is in stark comparison to standard internal combustion engine cars powered by dirty fuel.
The harmful gases ICEs produce remain in the atmosphere and trap heat, leading to increased global temperatures that contribute to extreme weather events like wildfires, drought, and deadly storms.
The particulate matter produced by cars that run on petrol or diesel can also reduce air quality, causing or exacerbating cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses, including cancer.
Meanwhile, people who eat more plant-based meals help to reduce worldwide reliance on agricultural meat production, which is one of the planet's biggest polluters, and also mitigate their cancer risk.
You don't have to be vegan to drive an EV, though, so this protest seemed to have jumped to some unnecessary conclusions.
But folks looking to recharge their electric car on the way to their next stop would have been met with an annoying inconvenience with the charger not functioning. Also, handling raw meat outside of the kitchen is never a pleasant experience.
Thankfully, such irresponsible demonstrations of contempt regarding clean-powered vehicles has not deterred the rise of electric cars.
In Germany, the KBA federal transport authority reported that electric vehicle sales increased by 11.4% in 2023. TechXplore reviewed the findings, and while the rise in sales was at a slower pace than diesel and petrol models, there is obviously still an appetite for EVs, even with the end of government subsidy schemes in Germany in September 2023.
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