A Reddit post from a Volkswagen employee has gained attention for revealing what appears to be a deliberate act of electric vehicle vandalism.
The post's photos, shared to the r/Volkswagen subreddit, show different angles of the damage to an EV inside a dealership building. According to the employee, vandals seemingly targeted the electric model.
"A couple of vandals got into one of our buildings on the lot at the dealership I work at and torched a Volkswagen ID.4," the original author captioned the post.
The image shows a Volkswagen ID.4 that is almost completely destroyed. As a result of the fire, the car's entire exterior is wrecked, with the windows smashed and the wiring pulled out of the vehicle.
"[I] took the pics this morning but the vandalism happened yesterday," the author continued. "From the scuttlebutt I've heard, a couple of kids got into our storage building on our back lot, put some rags in the tires of this ID.4 and set it on fire. Was a 2023 Pro."
EV vandalism is not new, but it is becoming more common. Public chargers have been smashed. Cables have been cut. Cars have been keyed or blocked from charging.
But these actions do not just damage property. They interrupt progress, raise costs, cause delays, and send a clear message of resistance to the transition away from gas-powered vehicles.
That resistance is often based on misinformation. Critics point to mining for EV batteries or emissions from charging as reasons to reject electric cars altogether.
But even the most carbon-intensive battery is still better for the environment than a lifetime of burning gasoline. The difference is not marginal. It is significant, and it grows as clean energy sources replace coal and gas on the grid.
The reality is that fossil fuels require digging up billions of tons of material every year. EVs and other clean technologies require a fraction of that.
|
If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Cost 💰 And for drivers with home solar, the emissions from charging drop even further. The costs do, too. EnergySage is one platform that offers a simple way to compare solar quotes.
The kind of destruction in the post does not just set back one dealership. It disrupts progress toward a cleaner, more stable future. And it forces communities to bear the cost.
"That's crazy," said one commenter. "That's not vandalism — that's arson."
The post may fade from the front page soon, but the pattern it points to is not going away. The question is whether society will allow fear and misinformation to stall the solutions that are already working.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
