Tesla owner shares photo of shocking incident with brand-new vehicle: 'In broad daylight'

A Tesla owner took to the r/TeslaCollision subreddit to share how their vehicle was unfortunately keyed mere days after purchase.

"Less than [two] days into my new Tesla Model 3, [it's] been blatantly vandalized in broad daylight right outside my apartment on a quiet residential street," the post read.

Luckily, their vehicle was in Sentry Mode, allowing them to catch the alleged perpetrator in the act and call the police. However, if little progress is made on the report, they may be facing high repair costs and insurance fees.

Insurance is a particular concern because an uptick in vandalism against Teslas is driving up insurance costs, according to recent surveys. 

"I'm sorry this happened. I would suspect it's someone who [lives] nearby. It's just crazy how they are willing to vandalize someone's property because they disagree," a user replied.

This owner lives in Los Angeles, where vandalism against EVs is not uncommon. Recently, a Waymo was towed away in L.A. after both side mirrors were shattered.

Cases of vandalism against Teslas, in particular, have been on the rise, with nearly 50% of Tesla owners reportedly experiencing it over the past year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's involvement in American politics has likely contributed to the disdain toward him and the Tesla brand, prompting acts of vandalism against both vehicles and charging stations. 

Despite this, vandalism only harms innocent car owners and is considered a felony in many jurisdictions.

The threat of EV vandalism also discourages the broader adoption of EVs — which, unlike gas-powered vehicles, produce no tailpipe pollution. 

Although the process of developing lithium-ion batteries for EVs is not the cleanest and does use dirty energy sources, they are still cleaner than cars without a lithium-ion battery. This makes EVs an investment worth considering, both for their lower environmental impact and the potential savings in energy costs.

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