EV owner issues warning after discovering disturbing scene outside home: 'The whole thing was recorded by our camera'

Waking up to find that your property has been damaged or stolen is an infuriating experience, and for one electric vehicle owner, it came in the form of a cut charging cable. 

The EV driver shared their frustrating story on the r/evcharging subreddit after being "greeted by this" one morning. The user explained that thieves had been targeting chargers in their area, brazenly cutting cables after dark despite numerous security lights and cameras on the street. 

"The whole thing was recorded by our camera on the front of the house and took all of 30 seconds," the original poster wrote.

While the owner noted that "the amount of copper they nabbed is worth very little," the cost in time and repairs is considerable. In an update, the user added that the problem was escalating. 

"Quick update on this particular incident," they wrote. "It seems whoever was doing this had a bit of a field day as I am hearing of more and more domestic setups being hit and now, at least 4 public charger stations as well (and those cables are hefty)."

This kind of vandalism is a frustrating trend that can slow down the crucial transition to cleaner transportation. Sadly, similar acts of vandalism at public charging stations and even against personal EVs are becoming more common.

Some of this hostility is fueled by misinformation. One common myth is that EV batteries are worse for the planet than gas-powered cars. However, research shows that even cars with the dirtiest batteries are still cleaner than cars that rely on gasoline. While it's true that clean energy requires mining, the amount is a fraction of what's needed for dirty energy — we dig up billions of tons of dirty fuels every year, and that's what we're trying to replace.

Plus, charging an EV with renewable energy, like from home solar panels, drops the associated pollution to nearly zero while saving money on gas. And with EnergySage, it's now easier than ever to get a transparent quote for solar from vetted local installers.

The frustration from the community was clear in the comments. 

"I just don't get this. You are risking a felony and wrecking your life over a couple of bucks of copper," one person wrote.

Another commenter warned, "Copper has hit an all-time high. Expect more of this."

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