Sometimes, all it takes to set someone off is the make and model of the car next to them.

A Reddit user posted to the r/ModelY subreddit to detail an off-putting encounter they had earlier that day.

The Tesla driver was sitting in a parking lot when they received a middle finger from a passenger in a passing pickup truck. The EV driver was shocked by the vitriol the person directed at them, even though they had seemingly done nothing wrong.

While Tesla hasn't always received glowing approval from everyone, its vehicles — and their drivers — have more recently become an increased target of abuse amid backlash over company CEO Elon Musk's polarizing political activity. Otherwise, electric cars can be an annoyance for people who can't let go of gas-guzzling cars. 

However, one thing is certain: electric vehicles do ultimately benefit people and the environments they live in more compared to gas- or diesel-powered vehicles.

While some consumers still may prefer Tesla for myriad reasons, EVs aren't only made by Tesla, either, so there are plenty of electric options available. Well-known companies like Toyota, BMW, and Ford are pushing innovation to new heights with their models.

Instances like the one the OP experienced can deter many people from purchasing an electric vehicle, even though the benefits are grounded in clear statistics.

Electric vehicles are powered by lithium-ion batteries, and although mining for such minerals does come at an environmental price, vehicles powered by gas or diesel have a far greater cost to both people's wallets and the Earth's atmosphere.

A 2023 study from the U.S. Department of Energy found that gasoline vehicles produced 12,594 pounds of CO2 equivalent annually, whereas all-electric vehicles produced 2,551 pounds of CO2 equivalent annually.

On top of that, those 2,551 pounds were not from the cars themselves when driven, but rather from the ways they were charged. Thus, EVs consistently remain the better option to lower Earth's atmospheric temperatures.

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Additionally, EVs end up being cheaper in the long run, as vehicles that run on polluting fuels are expensive to refill at the pump. While an electric bill may rise for those who charge EVs at home, the cost is still far less than paying for gasoline. 

However, if going straight to an electric vehicle is not feasible for those who want to make the change, hybrid vehicles still show a significant decrease in CO2 equivalent pollution.

The same DOE study showed that hybridized electric-and-gas cars produced 6,898 pounds of CO2 equivalent, nearly half that of pure gasoline-powered vehicles.

Essentially, shunning EV drivers, no matter the parent company, is ultimately regressive.

Celebrating the increase in electric vehicles on the road emphasizes positive changes towards a healthier, cleaner future.

Those who interacted with the original Reddit post were surprised at the experience the OP had described.

One commenter said that people are "allowing their hearts to be filled with irrational hate" and that it wasn't the OP's problem to fix.

Another agreed, explaining how "most Tesla owners chose their vehicle because it made sense for their needs. Not as a form of political expression."

To add onto this, a third expanded on the idea that the disdain toward EVs isn't exclusive to Tesla: "I've gotten that in my Honda Fit, never in the Tesla."

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