Tesla and Other Electric Cars are Easy to Harass While They're Charging

A video showing a pickup truck driver unplugging a charging Tesla at a public charging station in Campbellsville, Ontario, Canada, has gone viral after the Model 3 owner shared the story and footage to Reddit.

From what is visible in the video and the testimony of the Tesla owner, it seems like a classic case of “jerk move,” wherein only a harass to bother others motivated the GMC Sierra 2500 driver to unplug a charging Model 3. Of course, the Tesla wasn’t occupying someone’s reserved space or overstaying after its battery was full again. Although the Sentry camera system was already activated by itself and was flashing its headlights and turning on its blinkers to signal that a video recording had started, the man wanted to disconnect the Tesla from the charger.

The truck driver didn’t realize that the parked car was capturing what was happening around it, or maybe he just wasn’t aware that this was a possibility. He then headed straight for the charging port and started messing with it.

Luckily, the owner sleeping inside the car woke up and opened the door. He says on Reddit that he noticed something was off, looked outside, and saw someone messing with his car. That’s when he threw the blanket off, opened the door, and screamed at the man to return his belongings, but the jerk had already run to his truck after seeing someone inside the electric vehicle. The situation didn’t escalate any further.

Commenters on Reddit noted that the GMC driver must have been upset about rising fuel prices in Ontario, which motivated him to take out his frustration on somebody who didn’t share his pain. “He’s in Ontario, so that’s 136L of diesel at $2.15/L or $292 for a full tank,” one commenter wrote. “That’s enough to put anybody in a sour mood.”

Tesla and Other Electric Cars are Easy to Harass While They're Charging Gasoline and diesel fuel prices at a gas station in Montreal on May 11, 2022; these prices are the highest ever recorded in Canada.

Yes, it is understandable that people should be upset about the high fuel price and, in some cases, even angry, but there is no need to take it out on electric car drivers; they're not the cause.

If you can't change the gas price, change your transportation -- buy an electric car with a long enough range to meet your travel needs.

Most importantly, don't try to cut off someone's charge and power.

Final Thought

While most people understand the need to act against climate change, some people still look for ways to punish those who have already taken the first step by purchasing an electric vehicle.

Through the example of this video, people have also raised questions about the safety of electric vehicles while charging. Tesla drivers and other electric car owners are still vulnerable to vandalism when charging their cars.