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Driver stunned after facing unsettling incident during road trip: 'Not normal'

"Sorry that happened to you."

One Redditor's shared a road rage incident where someone screamed at them for driving an electric car.

Photo Credit: iStock

One Redditor shared a road rage incident where someone screamed at them for driving an electric car. They posted that someone drove by screaming vulgarities at them when they stopped to charge their vehicle. 

We live in a polarized world, so some level of disagreement is probably to be expected. However, screaming obscenities at people is hardly the best way to air grievances.

It's exactly this kind of anger expressed violently against EV drivers that can keep people from buying electric cars at all. One study from Case Studies on Transport Policy noted that anticipated emotions are a major factor in buying an electric vehicle. This can include the way people anticipate feeling when others harass them because of the car they drive. 

Some people feel negatively about electric vehicles because they have heard disinformation. For instance, some are worried about pollution from the EV battery manufacturing process, while others are concerned about what happens to the planet when we mine elements like lithium for EV batteries. 

When it comes to pollution, EVs are actually better than gas-powered cars, though there's still quite a bit of room for improvement. One paper from MIT noted that it can be hard to tell exactly how much pollution is produced per battery because different manufacturers use different processes. However, they still conclude that EVs are more energy efficient than other vehicles. 

Regarding mining, it is absolutely necessary to come up with better ways to get the lithium and other elements we need for EV batteries. However, we are pulling chemicals out of the ground whether we rely on lithium or gasoline. The process of getting oil and gas isn't any cleaner. If you want to get an electric vehicle, there's no reason to think you're doing more damage than good. 

Other Redditors expressed frustration and anger that the original posters were treated badly. 

"Sorry that happened to you. Not normal," one person said

Another offered their own story, sharing, "Someone yelled at my wife and kid when they were charging. They were very upset and a bit freaked out." 

Yet another just laughed at someone who tried to harass them. They explained, "Only once, someone in a pickup yelled 'GASOLINE!!!' out the window at me while I was charging. I thought it was hilarious."

Would you go out of your way to stop at a business that has EV charging stations?

Definitely 👍

Only on road trips 🛣️

No way 👎

I'll never drive an EV ❌

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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