Dashcam footage captured the moment one driver's Tesla Cybertruck was vandalized in Los Angeles, reports KTLA.
A video taken from the Cybertruck on Nov. 28 showed a male puncturing the tires on the front and rear passenger side. According to the driver, their car was the only one vandalized despite there being several vehicles parked on the street.
"I feel like people hate Teslas now," said nearby resident Sol Dean. "I don't know why, but it seems some people just hate electric vehicles."
Others speculate on Tesla CEO Elon Musk's support for President-elect Donald Trump in connection with vandalism to Tesla vehicles.
"I think a lot of people feel powerless because of the political climate, and so they're trying to take that power back some way," said Tesla owner Don Parker. "I don't think it makes it right, but it's an explanation for what's going on for sure."
"Elon Musk has made common cause with the president-elect and has shown himself to be hostile to immigrants, to California and to Democratic people," said nearby resident Michael Webster. "It's easy to see him as an enemy and to be seeing others enriching him and particularly I think the Cybertruck is a symbol."
"I think we've got the people taking their frustrations out on [Elon] Musk on these vehicles," Tim Blair told Sky News Australia.
According to The Guardian, anti-Musk stickers have risen in popularity since the Tesla CEO declared his support for Trump. Stickers that read "Anti Elon Tesla Club" and "I bought this before Elon went crazy" spiked since the election, with hundreds selling every day.
Whether the reason for this specific instance of vandalism was due to Musk, hatred for electric vehicles in general, or something else, there has been a surge in vandalism to EVs and EV chargers across the world. One Tesla's dashcam caught a man keying the car for no apparent reason. Another one caught a man throwing concrete on a Tesla's back windows.
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In Fresno, all 88 of the city's public EV chargers were vandalized at some point within a three-year timeframe, while e-bike stations in England have been vandalized, forcing e-bike company Lime to withdraw the bikes altogether.
Vandalism to EVs and electric bicycles can slow the more widespread adoption of these technologies, which help drivers save money on fuel and reduce planet-warming air pollution. Vandals and thieves looking to make a profit on copper from EV chargers continue to surge. According to Insurance Journal, 215 of Electrify America's 1,000 charging stations were vandalized in the first nine months of 2024, up from 79 in all of 2023.
"Ultimately, there needs to be a larger law enforcement response to this," says Sara Rafalson, executive director of policy at EV charging network operator EVgo.
As of December 4, the suspect of the damage to the Cybertruck had not been caught, according to KTLA.
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