A Redditor recently had the cable at one of their favorite electric vehicle charging spots cut, and they took to the r/Portland subreddit to vent.
"I don't know if this is vandalism or the companies doing it for some odd reason, but this is the second charger I've found like this," the original poster wrote. "I've got an older electric car and can't use the ultra fast charger, and there's only so many of these chargers around! Making it harder and harder to function at a time when electric car use is on the rise. What's going on?"
Electric vehicles are vital tools for reducing the air pollution that's worsening extreme weather patterns, melting sea ice, and warming oceans. Light-duty vehicles make up a hefty chunk of America's emissions, per the Environmental Protection Agency, but cutting that pollution isn't the only benefit. EVs are cheaper to run, and taking gas out of the equation is also better for your health. Damage to chargers dissuades drivers from making the switch and runs counter to all of those benefits.
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Reddit commenters had largely reached a consensus as to why Portland's electric charging cables were being cut.
"There's ~$6-8 dollars worth of scrap copper in each of those cords," the top-voted reply said. "Yep, some scumbag is causing hundreds of dollars in damage to scrap it for less than $10."
"It is the same reason why people steal catalytic converters off of gasoline cars," another said. "Frankly the answer is to SEVERELY regulate the metals recycling industry such that criminals are unable to sell copper and catalytic converters and the other stuff they steal."
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