Driver shares photo of appalling scene at local EV charging station: 'The rest are cut or hacked off'

A driver recently snapped a frustrating sight: an electric vehicle charging station completely trashed. With five plugs ripped apart and only one left working. They shared the images on Reddit's r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, summing up the exasperation.

"The nearby EV charge station," they posted with the photos. "Just drove by the local EV charger and someone decided they don't like it very much. Six plugs, only one is operable. The rest are cut or hacked off."

The post quickly gained traction, with commenters expressing their outrage over the senseless damage. "What the hell? Did they rip off the head of the charger?" one user asked.

Another commented on the anti-EV sentiment, writing: "Yeah, some people are really against electric cars to the point of property damage and vandalism."

This kind of vandalism isn't just annoying — it actively slows the transition to clean energy. Public charging stations make EVs a practical choice, but frequent vandalism fuels skepticism about their reliability.

Of course, the usual anti-EV arguments surface whenever these incidents happen. Some claim that EVs aren't as "green" as they seem due to battery production and lithium mining, but the data says otherwise. A life-cycle assessment by the International Council on Clean Transportation found that EVs produce 60-68% fewer lifetime emissions than gas-powered cars, even factoring in manufacturing and charging. As the power grid shifts toward renewables, the gap will grow even wider.

While mining for battery materials is a valid concern, the real issue is the sheer scale of fossil fuel extraction. The International Energy Agency reported that the world extracts over 16.5 billion metric tons of fossil fuels per year — compared to just 3 million tons of lithium.

So what's the solution? Cities and private companies are making EV charging stations more secure. Fresno, California, spent $245,000 installing locking steel cabinets to prevent vandalism.

Meanwhile, ChargePoint has introduced cut-resistant cables and real-time alarms, and GM and EVgo are rolling out urban charging stations with security cameras and well-lit canopies to deter tampering. The more widespread and reliable EV chargers become, the harder it'll be to stop progress.

When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations? Chargers not working 🚫 Chargers not being available 😥 Charging being too expensive 💰 Charging taking too long ⌚ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

All told, EVs aren't going anywhere — no matter how many chargers get trashed.

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