The vandalism of electric vehicle charging stations has frustrated drivers on more than one occasion. Recently, a Redditor in Sheffield, England, shared that the cables at a local Lidl charger had been cut, rendering the machine inoperable.
In a comment, the poster lamented the development, writing: "It is a shame, it's not like there is a lot of infrastructure for electric vehicles & now this is taking charging stations off line for who knows how long. I doubt there will be much incentive to fix it as long as the problem remains."
As the planet heats up from humans' consumption of dirty energy sources such as gas, coal, and oil, extreme weather events become more common and severe. This means floods, droughts, and wildfires, among other natural disasters, are doing more damage than before.
Oftentimes, rebuilding from the devastation means a new house or car, requiring even more energy and resource consumption. This can perpetuate the cycle.
However, one of the ways to help reduce pollution from human activities is to switch from gas-powered cars to EVs, which emit zero pollution from their tailpipes while on the road. If you charge your EV with renewable energy from the sun or wind, it makes an even bigger difference in pollution output over the life span of the vehicle.
That's true even though their batteries are made with materials that need to be mined.
What's more, you can save money in the long run by buying an EV. Electricity is cheaper than gasoline, and EVs don't require as much maintenance. Certain options can even energize your house in case of a power outage.
And while EVs generally are more expensive to purchase, tax credits can cut the cost if you're in the United States. There are subsidies in the United Kingdom, too.
As for the vandalism, one Redditor offered an interesting solution, while others highlighted that EV drivers weren't the only ones impacted by property destruction.
"They are going to have to put these things in booths and allow key access in trade for your license," one commenter said.
Someone else pointed out that a similar problem affects railways, writing: "We need harsher penalties for infrastructure theft."
The poster countered that prevention would be more effective since catching culprits in every situation "seems unlikely."
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