An electric vehicle driver in Edmonton, Canada, has taken to Reddit to issue a warning about charging stations at a number of locations.
In the r/Edmonton subreddit, they provided a list of eight different stations in the area that had their cables cut in the last week.
This past week there have been a string of EV charging station vandalisms across Edmonton - we count over 5 fast charging sites with their cables cut.
— EVAA (@PluginAlberta) July 21, 2024
The short timing suggests that it is a single actor.
We are calling upon the @edmontonpolice and @CityofEdmonton to open an… pic.twitter.com/TPzgnAAQfU
"In some cases, cables have been left behind, in other cases, taken," they detailed. "So hard to say if this is copper theft or anti EV activity. The cost to repair these sites is estimated to be more than $25,000."
They also provided a link to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that detailed other incidents in the state.
The Redditor noted two possible reasons for the vandalism: to steal valuable copper wiring or to protest against electric vehicles.
When it comes to the latter, it's not clear why people are so irritated about this technology. Electric vehicles are far better for public health because they do not produce tailpipe pollution like gas-powered vehicles, which decreases air quality and increases the risk of heart and lung illnesses.
They are also responsible for far less planet-warming pollution through their life cycle than standard cars powered by dirty fuel. Even considering the cost of construction, mining for battery metals, and use of other raw materials, the polluting impact of EVs is still much lower than internal combustion engine cars.
When you think about it, they don't negatively affect the lives of others at all, so "protesting" about their increasing presence on roads doesn't seem productive.
If it's not cutting cables, anti-EV sentiment is also being demonstrated by "ICEing," when drivers of internal combustion vehicles park in EV charging spots to restrict access to refueling stations.
Although the number of EV chargers is on the rise, partially thanks to government initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act, it's still frustrating to be met with vandalized charging infrastructure when your battery is close to running out.
Fears about battery life and access to charging are among the main concerns stopping people from investing in an electric vehicle, according to ScienceDirect — and switching to EVs is essential if we want to curb the rate of rising global temperatures.
"I use the Capilano Library and charger a lot too!" one Redditor commented. "These stations need cameras. I'm sad that this is happening."
"Sad," said another. "This is like the equivalent of cutting all the gas nozzles at a gas station."
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