Political tensions in the U.S. are rising, causing some property damage and apprehension among Tesla owners.
In the r/SaltLakeCity subreddit, a Reddit user posted a dashcam recording of a man vandalizing their Tesla car in Utah with an anti-Nazi symbol. With Elon Musk’s ties to the Trump administration, the Tesla brand has received a lot of backlash, and this has unfortunately spilled over to car owners.
“This happened tonight near Gateway Mall. I voted for Clinton, Biden, Harris, and encouraged others to get out and vote too. I got this car because I wanted to do my part to reduce my emissions. I too am scared how I am going to survive and get through this. Please don’t do this,” they said in the post.
The video sparked a debate in the comments. Many agreed with the poster that opposition to the Tesla brand has gone too far by targeting random EV owners in the wild. They suggested that those who oppose Musk should focus on his behavior and not the public.
“Vandalizing cars doesn’t accomplish anything. It, however, may give the opposition political fodder. It might drive people away from your cause rather than toward it,” one user said.
“It doesn’t matter who you voted for or what you drive. Leave people’s […] cars alone!” another user said.
“It’s important to remember at the base of the conflict in our country is the wealth gap,” one commenter said.
Tesla was the first brand to popularize electric vehicles, and many people who have purchased one did so to do their part in curbing pollution and helping the environment. EV drivers also save money on fuel and routine maintenance by avoiding oil and fluid changes.
Vandalizing EVs and charging stations can make people wary of getting one, slowing their adoption. More widespread use of electric cars will be crucial in cutting our planet’s use of dirty energy sources like gas and oil. EVs are the future of the auto industry because they don’t emit tailpipe pollution.
EVs do create some pollution in the battery manufacturing and charging process. However, this is not nearly as damaging as what’s currently being done by traditional gas cars. About 16.5 billion tons of dirty fuels need to be dug out of the Earth every year to power cars around the world.
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