An image posted to r/evcharging showed a cracked display at an Electrify America charging station.
It sparked frustration among electric vehicle drivers and raised concerns about how charger vandalism can slow the shift away from gasoline and diesel.
At many public stations, the screen is the main way to start and pay. Many networks let members start a charge with an account login or RFID card, but guests often depend on the on-screen unit. Damaged screens can leave drivers stranded, and isolated vandalism can undermine confidence in the network when reliability is critical.
Even accounting for manufacturing and battery production, EVs generate less lifetime heat-trapping pollution than gasoline vehicles. Research on battery metals found that mining for materials like lithium has a smaller footprint than the billions of tons of dirty energy — gas, coal, and oil — extracted each year. Driving an EV still reduces pollution over a vehicle's life.
Screens aren't the only targets. In Minnesota, officials reported over 80 damaged charging stations since public installation. These setbacks are also happening worldwide; in the U.K., vandals cut multiple public chargers, and a Glasgow vandalism case showed similar damage.
Some cut charging cords to steal copper wiring for resale; other incidents show no obvious motive. Elsewhere, gas-powered cars blocked chargers, preventing EV drivers from using them at all.
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Whether for profit or mischief, vandalism makes a station unusable, inconveniencing drivers. Each case chips away at public trust and creates another barrier to choosing an EV.
As such, some drivers sidestep public chargers entirely by installing home solar and charging where they live. EnergySage's tools can help those looking to invest in solar power by comparing options and costs.
"Blink chargers around here used to be out of service all the time due to broken screens. It was really annoying," one commenter wrote.
They noted that smaller-screen units are especially vulnerable to damage. While Blink network users can just use their app or card, they added, "For guest users it make the charger unusable though."
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