Soon after evacuating from Los Angeles fires, a family suffered more distress when one of their Tesla's tires was slashed by an unidentified vandal.
The Reddit user posted a video of the culprit that has drawn attention in the site's r/TeslaCam community. The Tesla Cam captured an individual approaching the vehicle, which was parked in the driveway of an Airbnb in Oceano, California, where the family escaped under an evacuation warning.
The video shows the vandal approach the vehicle, squat down near the tire with an object, then walk away, presumably having slashed the tire. The Airbnb owner reported that "this has happened before" in that location.
Commenters were outraged, speculating about the motive of the slasher.
One Redditor threw out a few theories, questioning the agenda of the individual in the video: "Is he an 3lon hater, a Tesla hater, or a hater of renewable energy?"
Sky News Australia journalist Tim Blair shared his theory about Tesla vandals on YouTube. With Tesla Cams capturing an increase in vandalism on Teslas in recent months, Blair theorizes that the actions are a result of people "taking out their frustrations" on Elon Musk, who seems to be in tight with President Donald Trump.
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Ultimately, a car is a car, and a low-pollution EV like a Tesla should go to good use regardless of any feelings about the CEO of the company that made it. Damaging it or its tires only wastes resources to resolve the problem, and assuming what the owner of the car thinks is not productive. Anyone with strong feelings about a brand is better served using their voice and redirecting their own spending power.
Respecting our communities and our environment is especially important in the aftermath of a disaster such as the recent LA wildfires. Small steps toward recovery and combating our changing climate can help prevent such catastrophic consequences.
The widespread use of electric vehicles is a step in the right direction, with less environmental impact than gas-powered vehicles, as the process of mining for EV batteries gets cleaner. Vandalism targeting EVs and charging stations may slow widespread adoption.
If you were going to purchase an EV which of these factors would be most important to you? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Several individuals commented on a recent Reddit post, citing that EVs are targeted by those opposing green energy and what is perceived as a liberal agenda, suggesting that Tesla owners are facing this from more than one corner of the political spectrum now.
"Tesla hate is definitely a thing," claimed one Reddit user.
Others commented that other cars are targeted just as frequently as EVs, but that the Tesla cameras and online activity of Tesla owners can influence the public to believe that green energy is the target.
Despite a possible perception that Teslas and other EVs are being targeted, we can hope that the positive environmental impact of EVs will inspire more vehicle purchasers to go green.
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