No one wants their car vandalized, but unfortunately, some EV drivers live in fear of such, regardless of the brand they own. One Rivian owner's Reddit post showed how they left it in sleek condition, only to return to a huge scratch.
The Rivian model in question comes with a video feature called Gear Guard, but it was "sleepy" when the incident occurred. Therefore, the owner doesn't know who the vandal was.
Electric vehicles are an essential part of the transition to clean energy. From electric trains to boats to cars, having vehicles that don't rely on dirty fuels means no pollution when in use. Toxic carbon exhaust traps heat in the atmosphere, leading to climate warming and increasing disasters like droughts and wildfires.
Despite the positive impact EVs can have and the upfront cost decrease — the average price dropped nearly $15,000 between September 2022 and 2023, per Money.com — these vehicles have been the object of controversy, often resulting in car and charging station vandalism. A charging station in Glasgow was unusable after someone cut the charging cables. The same thing happened at a local library in Tucson, Arizona.
One reason for pushback is the use of battery material. While EV batteries require mining lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other materials from the earth, that mining is still far less than what dirty fuels require.
Furthermore, advances in recycling techniques mean that one day, manufacturers won't need to mine for anything to make those batteries. Companies and researchers are already reusing existing ones. However, once you fill your car's gas tank, the fuel isn't reusable, another reason that gas-powered cars are worse for the environment.
The comments were very sympathetic, as one said, "It's disgusting that someone would do this," and had a few suggestions to help. They also expressed annoyance at the reliability of Gear Guard.
Someone noted this model needs better protection: "They need to make gear guard more sensitive … it misses things all the time."
Another suggested for "everyone to wrap their vehicles in PPF," which protects the paint from damage like keying as well as bird poop, UV damage, chipping, and more.
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