New car owner devastated after returning to disappointing scene within first week: 'It's a shame'

The owner of a Tesla Model S posted photos of vandalism done to all sides of their vehicle through keying and damage to the driver's fender camera on Reddit.

"It's a shame," said one sympathetic commenter.

This incident is one in a slew of recent Tesla-targeted acts. Whether the vehicles are being targeted because they are electric or because the company's founder has come under sharp criticism is uncertain.

In addition to vehicles, Tesla dealerships and charging stations have been vandalized.

Some of the vandals may be targeting Tesla in opposition to EVs in general. As a pioneer of EV technology, the Tesla brand is a well-known industry leader and is one of the most recognizable EVs on the market.

Despite EVs being much more environmentally friendly than traditional gas-powered vehicles, some skeptics believe otherwise. Several myths may have contributed to this perception.

One criticism is that the charging process draws electricity from non-renewable resources like coal and gas –– aka "dirty energy." While it is true that the current electric power grid does include these resources, charging an EV produces much lower levels of planet-warming gases when compared to a traditional gasoline car. Since EVs produce zero tailpipe pollution, they do not contribute to air pollution in that way.

Another concern among EV critics is the environmental impact of the EV battery manufacturing process. While producing these batteries involves mining minerals out of the earth, the reduced air pollution that results from driving the EV still makes them a much more eco-friendly option than their gas-powered counterparts, and the process involves mining far fewer resources. The process of mining for lithium batteries continues to improve and become cleaner.

So while the manufacturing of EV batteries and the charging process are not entirely harm-free, they are a step in the right direction.

Another factor likely contributing to Tesla backlash is Tesla CEO Elon Musk's appointment as special government employee in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency in the current Trump administration. The appointment is seen by some as a conflict of interest, and many people are opposed to the rapid, drastic cuts being made to government agencies and departments.

Do you think EVs are good for off-roading? They're better than gas cars 🔌 They're as good as gas cars 🤝 They're worse than gas cars ⛽ I'm not sure 🤔 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Redditors were upset about the vandalism done to the original poster's vehicle.

"The cars don't have anything to do with his political views," said one.

Another Redditor simply said, "So sorry that happened to you."

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.