Electric vehicles and their chargers have been the subject of vandalism ever since their conception, with one TikToker showcasing just how frequently this occurs.
Content creator Jacob Fraizer (@jayspanks) recorded himself at a charging station, where all the cords had been cut a few inches from the top of the plug.
@jayspanks Have you seen these wireless car chargers before?🤯 #electriccar #tesla #electriccars #funnyvideos #foryоu ♬ original sound - jayspanks
"Have you seen these new wireless chargers? … You can plug it straight into your car, and it charges wireless," he joked.
The video then pivoted to Jacob approaching an attendant, asking if they knew what had happened to their equipment.
A person offscreen, presumably an employee, expressed shock, saying it had been the second time the wires had been snipped. They added that a third-party company oversaw the chargers before another business bought them out.
The new ownership fixed all the chargers, but it took less than a week before someone cut it.
"Within a couple days, they were all like this," the worker said as the video zoomed in on the damaged goods. Jacob also panned across the parking lot, which showed six chargers with their cords severed.
Some users went back and forth in the comments, arguing whether the culprit sliced the cables for the copper inside or out of feeling threatened by EVs.
Regardless of intent, it's undeniable how often vandals and instigators have targeted EVs and related infrastructure. Perpetrators have actively gone out of their way to key Teslas, block designated EV charging spots with internal combustion engine vehicles, and smash chargers.
Cutting cables also seems to be an all-too-common occurrence, with cases popping up from the Twin Cities to Fresno.
It's a frustrating situation, considering that these instances may deter some drivers from switching from ICEVs to EVs and thus limit our progress in reversing Earth's overheating. Granted, mining materials for lithium-ion batteries isn't the most sustainable process, and EVs can still produce planet-warming gases if they use dirty energy sources to recharge.
However, the world extracts about 2,000 times more coal, oil, and natural gas than clean energy minerals, and charging EVs using fossil fuels is far better for the environment than ICEVs.
Other users simply lamented an act that inconvenienced EV drivers.
"That's why we can't have good stuff," one person wrote.
"At this point get a guy out there to watch the chargers or get cameras and security," another suggested, referring to an increasing trend at many charging stations.
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