When a Redditor shared a disconcerting photo of a damaged electric vehicle charger, it sparked concern about the targeted work of vandals.
The photo was taken in Austin, Texas, in August 2022. An undamaged connector at a Tesla charging station might typically look like this (though some connector attachments vary).
"When I pulled in to the Rudys on 620 I was shocked, but delighted, to see two new EV charging stations in the parking lot," the poster wrote. "When I pulled up I saw that both of them had been intentionally vandalized and destroyed beyond use or safety.
🗣️ When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations?
🔘 Chargers not working 🚫
🔘 Chargers not being available 😥
🔘 Charging being too expensive 💰
🔘 Charging taking too long ⌚
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"I went inside to get some tacos and I let them know that their chargers were broken and the manager went wide eyed and said, 'The charging stations? The new charging stations we just had installed?' which really made my [heart] sink.
"These photos were taken in early August, but it's really depressing to see that exactly what I assumed would happen to an EV charger in a Rudy's parking lot is exactly what happened to an EV charger in a Rudy's parking lot."
Many commenters said the charger had surely been run over, but others, including the poster, refuted the idea.
The damage could've been inflicted by any one of many Tesla haters, who target the vehicles and their drivers by keying, rolling coal, and various other childish acts of discontent.
Transportation is the leading source of pollution in the United States, so using a vehicle powered by a battery rather than an internal combustion engine is one of the ways someone can reduce their contribution to the planet-warming gases that are causing rising global temperatures.
And even though there are legitimate concerns about mining scarce minerals used in EV batteries and the dirty energy sources used to generate the electricity that charges EVs, the Environmental Defense Fund reports that EVs are still cleaner options than conventional vehicles.
Electric vehicles aren't always an affordable option, though, and some consumers may resent those who can afford the transition — but that doesn't excuse their misbehavior.
"Imagine caring this much about the fuel source of a vehicle," one commenter wrote.
Another said: "Vandalizing these should be considered interfering with interstate commerce and critical infrastructure, and prosecuted as such."
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