Electric vehicles continue to rise in popularity. Unfortunately, with anything popular comes a backlash, and reports of vandalism against EVs or their charging ports have been widespread.
A Redditor recently took to the r/TeslaModel3 subreddit to post a video of one such disturbing incident.
In the dashcam video titled "Some people just hate Tesla," a man is seen ripping out a charger from a Tesla parked in a garage.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Another video captured a woman kicking a Tesla that was also parked in a garage. Yet another video showed a man unplugging an electric vehicle from a charging port in an airport parking lot.
All of these instances of vandalism occurred before Tesla's unenviable first six months of 2025, with slumping sales and fluctuating stocks. This seems like the brand's new — though possibly temporary — norm amid backlash to CEO Elon Musk, whose polarizing politics and social media feuds made some consumers reconsider their loyalty to the brand and worried investors.
When EV vandalism occurs, it can be particularly frustrating because it can slow widespread adoption of EVs. But widespread adoption is what the world needs to help cut our reliance on dirty energy sources such as gas and oil, which are the leading generators of toxic, heat-trapping air pollution.
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While not everyone ties their support for a brand to the face of the company, other people actively dislike EVs because of common misconceptions. A report from the University of Oxford recently debunked one such theory. Researcher Hannah Ritchie explained that the mining of oil and gas still far outweighs the mining of rare earth minerals used in EV batteries.
Another study, reported by Reuters, showed that you only have to drive your electric vehicle 13,500 miles before you begin to do less harm to the environment than traditional gas guzzlers.
Luckily, consumers still seem to be catching on. In fact, in 2024, more than 20% of all new car sales were electric vehicles, according to the International Energy Agency.
Besides the environmental benefits, EVs can offer dramatic cost savings each year.
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Commenters on the original Reddit post were shocked by the vandal's behavior.
One said, "In the future we [will] all be driving EVs … How about we all get over it and be nice."
Another added, "I pray that this gentleman will learn compassion for his fellow man [and] the importance of respecting the property of others."
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