A popular tourist destination in New Mexico was the site where five electric vehicle chargers were recently vandalized — just days before an EV expo.
It happened around Taos Plaza, with one of the chargers near a police station. Kit Carson Electric Cooperative owns the devices, as the Taos News reported.
The cooperative has more than three dozen charging stations, though only the 13 in the town of Taos have been subject to this vandalism, which has been ongoing for over a year.
Damaged chargers harm EV drivers, of course, but they also have a negative impact on the entire community, as EVs are much better for our health than vehicles with internal combustion engines. And despite vociferous arguments to the contrary, EVs — even when accounting for their batteries — are much better for the environment.
Mining nickel, cobalt, lithium, and other metals from the Earth is intensive, for sure, but we need just millions of tons of the materials — and that will be true for decades to come. Dirty energy sources, on the other hand, are pulled from the ground by billions of tons, making gas-guzzling vehicles a huge part of the problem in the rapid heating of the globe.
This warming trend is leading to nearly unlivable conditions as well as more frequent and intense extreme weather events and the displacement of tens of millions of people worldwide.
Stay hydrated and refreshed this holiday season — without any sugar or harmful additives Nuun’s zero-sugar hydration tablets are a perfect, guilt-free way to enhance your water throughout the day. You’ll get five essential electrolytes for everyday hydration — with zero grams of sugar. Plus, Nuun tablets are certified vegan and gluten-free, and they’re the perfect size to keep in your car, purse, or anywhere you'll want a healthy, restorative drink. Learn more → |
To make a difference, consider switching to an EV the next time you buy a car. You can also be even greener by walking, biking, and using public transit instead of driving. All these things boost our health and the planet, and they pad our wallets, with EV drivers saving $1,500 annually on gas and maintenance.
"Each of these costs about $2,400 to replace," Kit Carson Electric Cooperative CEO Luis Reyes said of the vandalized chargers.
"... Some [charging stations] are free, so we don't make anything on them. It's slow to fix them and if they're going to get cut again, it's a problem."
Because the value of the copper in the cables is next to nothing, it's more likely that vandals or EV haters did the damage than thieves, he told the News.
There's a reason dermatologists personally use this daily moisturizing sunscreen more than any other brand Dermatologists see and understand skin at a much deeper level than the rest of us, and they know that the perfect SPF both protects and corrects your skin. That's why they trust, recommend, and personally use EltaMD more than any other brand. EltaMD's clinically tested formulas are designed with dermatologists to meet the needs of any skin type or condition. They're also designed for consistent daily wear to build long-term resilience with a moisturizing, lightweight, non-comedogenic texture — plus hyaluronic acid to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Learn more → |
"If they don't like electric vehicles, they don't have to drive one," Reyes said.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
