A new electric car owner posted on Reddit about charging station vandalism, wondering if it's a common problem for others.
The original poster explained, "I bought my first electric vehicle back in May, and usually charge it at a grocery store near my home. This past week, someone cut the charging cables off of two of the four charging units."
They asked, "does this happen often? I did not anticipate this type of problem."
A commenter dropped a photo of a cordless charging station, showing the OP that it can be a common issue and writing, "Saw this at the library recently. Not sure if it was decommissioned or stolen."
Unfortunately, EV charging station vandalism happens. The behavior hurts the EV industry, in turn hurting people and the planet.
There are valid concerns about pollution created during EV battery manufacturing, battery charging, and lithium mining. However, EVs are still better for Earth than traditional gas-powered vehicles.
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The mining and burning of fuels used for standard cars, like natural gas and oil, are some of the biggest contributing factors to pollution. Furthermore, the process of manufacturing and charging batteries is becoming cleaner with every new innovation.
It's even better for the planet, and your wallet, if you have an at-home charging station powered by solar panels. You can slash utility bills and don't have to rely on public stations that are often vandalized.
Cutting or stealing charging plugs only deters people from buying EVs, worsening pollution from burning gas. People miss out on the ample benefits of owning an EV, from the monetary savings to the exciting driving experience, as a result.
Thankfully, some commenters pointed out that companies are finding solutions to theft and vandalism.
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How long would you be willing to wait for an EV to charge? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
5 minutes or less ⏲️ One Redditor said, "There is a reason they are experimenting with dyes, laser engraving the actual copper conductors, etc."
Another person noted, "Chargepoint has come out with cables that are more cut resistant and contain dyes that make cutting the cables difficult and unpleasant. But those are barely deployed yet out in the world."
Hopefully, the anti-theft designs will become more commonplace. In the meantime, owning an EV is still a fun, cost-effective, and green way to get around.
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