Vehicle owner devastated after returning to parking garage: 'Why do people feel the need to do this?'

A confused and outraged Tesla owner posted in a Reddit group when their new vehicle was keyed in a parking garage.

"Why do people feel the need to do this?" they asked.

They knew their Tesla had deliberately been keyed because the marks were so severe and in multiple places. 

It seems EV hate is not going away. From damaged charging stations to slashed tires to blocked charging stations to vandalism, violations against EVs and their owners are real. Whether this behavior is a symptom of jealousy of the perceived luxury of the vehicles, a resistance to change, or a misunderstanding about the benefits — or all three — is up for debate.

The myths surrounding EVs fuel the negative perception.

One argument against EVs is the idea that moving to low-carbon energy requires mining millions of tons of minerals. While this is true, it pales in comparison to the amount of minerals that are mined to power gas vehicles.

While no mining at all would be ideal for the planet, mining for clean energy has far less impact on the environment than mining for coal, oil, or natural gas.

University of Oxford Hannah Ritchie hears the argument against mining for clean energy a lot, explaining that we can't wait for a perfect solution if we want to combat planet warming. "At its fastest rate of deployment," she states, "mining quantities for low-carbon energy will be 500 to 1000 times less than current fossil fuel production."

While mining for EV batteries does create waste, the process is improving over time, getting cleaner and cleaner. People will need to be open to adapting to changes that are improvements over the status quo rather than searching for perfection.

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.

The Tesla owner who complained about their car being keyed was justifiably upset, and others shared in the frustration.

One Reddit user commented, "The mentality of these individuals is almost unfathomable, do they honestly feel that the world would be better if no one had nice things?"

The EV hate is a deterrent to vehicle shoppers considering converting from a gas-powered vehicle to an electric one. Another commenter shared that "It's honestly a big fear of mine."

Some participants in the discussion shared similar stories, and most had empathy for the OP.

After outlining some possible reasons for the vandalism, one commenter said, "Regardless … I'm sorry you had to experience that."

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