In what is becoming an all-too-common occurrence, someone has keyed another electric vehicle. Tesla EVs are the usual target for these incidents, but this time it was a Rivian R1T. The video was posted to the r/Rivian subreddit. "I'll never understand this," was the natural and obvious response.
EV vandalism has been on the rise, and this case of a Rivian vehicle being keyed follows a Rivian charging station being vandalized earlier this year.
Fortunately, the original poster and owner of the R1T was able to buff and polish the scratch out for less than $20, but that's not always the case for EV owners across the country.
The key-happy individual's face was clear as day on the R1T's security cameras, so it's probably just a matter of time before the bill comes due.
According to Statista, EV sales topped 17 million in 2024, a 25.6% increase over the previous year. So, despite the uptick in vandalism, the popularity of EVs has surged.
EVs decrease air pollution and lower fossil fuel dependence — those are two incredibly important goals, as 2023 and 2024 were the hottest years on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Global Climate Report.
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Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?
While keying EVs won't destroy them, it may discourage consumers from making the switch from gas or diesel to buying their first EV.
However, some in the press are taking note, sending out early warning signs that potential EV adopters may decide to back out. The automotive industry's switch to EVs is vital for addressing serious environmental issues.
There are already enough opponents to green energy, with recent polling from the State Policy Network indicating a prevalence of skeptical Americans.
Hopefully, this level of vandalism will diminish, but it's far from over, as many of the post's comments indicated.
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Definitely 👍 One Reddit user said: "Happened to my R1S also, for no known reason."
The comments section was scattered with more of the same: "This happened to me. Fortunately, a bystander caught it on video and got their license plate number."
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